FORT HOOD, Texas (KXXV) — Following accusations that suspended Army OB-GYN Blaine McGraw secretly recorded and inappropriately touched his patients, military advocates are working to create policy changes that could prevent similar incidents.
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Retired Navy Captain and Executive Director of the National Defense Committee Bob Carey is partnering with the nonprofit Shield of Sisters to push for mandatory chaperones during all sensitive military medical appointments. Shield of Sisters helps military sexual trauma survivors and has worked closely with alleged victims of McGraw.
"People should not have to worry about their own armed forces being a bigger threat than potential enemies," Carey said.
The organization plans to meet with several congressional committees to help pass legislation requiring chaperones during sensitive medical procedures.
"They circle the wagons and they defend themselves, and so that's where congressional oversight is oftentimes needed," Carey said.
Currently, Fort Hood's chaperone policy states that patients have a right to a chaperone during exams and "when possible, military hospital or clinic staff will try to honor your request or help you reschedule your visit." However, the policy allows exceptions in emergencies.
Carey argues this approach is insufficient.
"We do this on gun ranges, we do this with explosives, we do this with other medical procedures, we don't do it here. And I think it's led to the situation we're in now," Carey said.
"This needs to be mandatory. You can't make it waivable, because the fact of the matter is that people will utilize their rank if they want to, to be able to create scenarios where they're going to be able to do what this doctor allegedly did," Carey said.
The advocates are also pushing for expanded military sexual trauma treatment to include military family members who are victims of MST involving a service member.
"Right now, there's pretty robust military sexual trauma, or there's supposed to be pretty robust military sexual trauma treatment for military service members who experience it, but there's not for the dependents," Carey said.
According to the VA's National Screening Program, about one in three women and one in 50 men said they experienced military sexual trauma when screened by their VA provider.
Carey emphasized that the work in Washington D.C. will be just the beginning of a longer legislative process.
"We need to ask for hearings, if for no other reason than to bring the light of day onto these transgressions," Carey said.
The National Defense Committee and Shield of Sisters plan to speak with congressional committees about these issues in January.
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