BELL COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — The Department of Defense is taking a closer look at how patients are protected during medical care at military facilities. But one local advocacy group says the evaluation still isn't enough to address ongoing concerns about unauthorized recording and patient safety.
- The Department of Defense is evaluating patient protection policies at military medical facilities to determine if adequate safeguards exist against unauthorized video recording during medical care.
- Shield of Sisters, an advocacy group for military sexual trauma survivors, says the evaluation isn't sufficient and calls for mandatory chaperones during sensitive medical examinations.
- The DOD memorandum was sent to military branch secretaries following complaints about doctors, including the recent investigation into Major Blaine McGraw.
- Advocacy groups want policies that are not only created but properly implemented, monitored, enforced, and ensure complaints are taken seriously.
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Department of Defense is analyzing how patients are protected from unauthorized video recording while receiving treatment at military medical facilities, following recent complaints about doctors at these institutions.
The DOD sent a memorandum to several military branches, including the Secretary of the Army, Navy and Air Force, directing them to evaluate policies and procedures at military medical facilities and assess what's being done to protect patients from being recorded.
"The objective of this evaluation is to determine whether the Department of Defense Components developed and implemented policy, processes, and procedures to safeguard patients from unauthorized video surveillance and recording while receiving medical care at Medical Treatment Facilities (MTFs), including the handling of complaints of potential violations," the memorandum states.
Shelley Huckins, Chief of Operations of Shield of Sisters, an advocacy group for those overcoming military sexual trauma, said the recent investigation into Major Blaine McGraw isn't the first time service members have filed complaints about doctors.
"We're happy to see that someone's taking it seriously. We just don't know if they're taking it seriously enough," Huckins said.
While she views the evaluation as progress, Huckins believes more comprehensive action is needed.
"We're talking about real people who are, who were harmed while they were receiving medical care and it's not just about one doctor," Huckins said.
Shield of Sisters is calling for mandatory chaperones during every sensitive medical examination. The organization also wants to ensure policies are not only created but properly implemented, monitored and enforced.
"We also want to see not that just a policy is put in place, but that it's developed and implemented and that it's monitored and enforced and then we want to see that if someone has a complaint, it's taken seriously," Huckins said.
The DOD memorandum includes an evaluation of "the handling of complaints of potential violations."
"We need honesty, accountability, and action. And we're not asking the DOD to be perfect. We just need them to be honest. Hold each other accountable and take action that actually even looks like you're trying to take care of your service members and your veterans," Huckins said.
Huckins said she's not surprised the DOD identified problems, but she will be shocked if meaningful changes are actually implemented.
25 News reached out to Cobos Law Firm, which is representing several alleged victims, Senator Ted Cruz, and U.S Representative John Carter for their stance on the evaluation but did not hear back before publication.
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