Army veteran seeks answers from Dublin VA hospital, Cancer treatments on hold
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – An army veteran battling throat cancer says he’s frustrated with the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center in Dublin, because treatments for his disease have been delayed for six months.
According to Adams, the doctor was notified that the VA will no longer pay for Mr. Smith’s treatment with the specialist after a certain date.
Adams’ partner, George Phillips says, “This cancer should have been staged and treated in January of this year when it was diagnosed. Now, we’re looking at a five month delay for a cancer that’s poorly differentiated, which means that it’s rapidly growing.”
Doctors diagnosed veteran Stewart Smith, 62, with a cancer in January 2014.
According to his representative, Attorney at Law, Virgil Adams, it took Smith till mid-March of this year to get approval from the Veterans Administration in Dublin to receive a biopsy and to seek guidance from a throat specialist.
In March, when Smith got the opportunity to visit a doctor in Macon, the specialist determined Smith had an aggressive form of cancer and recommended surgery immediately.According to Adams, the doctor was notified that the VA will no longer pay for Mr. Smith’s treatment with the specialist after a certain date.
Adams’ partner, George Phillips says, “This cancer should have been staged and treated in January of this year when it was diagnosed. Now, we’re looking at a five month delay for a cancer that’s poorly differentiated, which means that it’s rapidly growing.”
Smith says he contacted Georgia’s 12th District Representative, Congressman John Barrow.
Following Rep. Barrow’s conversation with hospital administration, Smith was approved for surgery to remove the cancer.
In May, Smith made the appointment, but ran into another challenge. His primary care doctor told him surgery was not possible, because the tumor wrapped around carotid artery, which would require a series of chemotherapy and radiation treatments to attack the cancer.
“As of June 4, none of this[chemotherapy and radiation treatments] is approved,” says Adams.
“We’re no further along than we were months ago, you know, knowing what it is,” Smith says, “So, we’re frustrated, we have to have treatment.”
Smith tells 41NBC the VA approved the chemotherapy treatments.
However, his doctor refuses to give him chemotherapy treatments, without radiation.
Currently, radiation treatments have not been approved by the VA.
The Carl Vinson VA Medical Center Public Affairs Officer, Dr. Frank Johnson says the motto of the hospital is “Honoring Service, Empowering Health,” and that’s what his organization intends to do.
Johnson adds there’s an “absolute commitment to providing the highest quality to our veterans.”
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