Problems at Waco VA draw attention from Congress

A Texas congressman says Veteran Affairs mental health research will be reviewed after a newspaper found millions of squandered dollars at a Waco facility just as brain injuries were spiking among U.S. service members.

U.S. Rep. Bill Flores said a "broad discussion" about the role of the VA in healthcare research is needed and that congressional panel would begin scheduling hearings early next year.

The Austin-American Statesman reported Saturday that the decision comes after the newspaper found that the Waco Center of Excellence couldn't recruit enough brain imaging experts and was paralyzed by internal squabbles.

"I want to make sure that we don't have the same issues at other centers of excellence," said Flores, a Waco Republican and member of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans Affairs.

During a 10-month investigation, the newspaper revealed that the VA purchased a once-cutting-edge $3.6 million mobile MRI scanner in 2008 without a clear plan for success. One of the first proposed studies called for scanning Fort Hood soldiers before and after war deployments — a unique opportunity in the history of warfare.

Researchers have been unable to complete any brain research on the machine amid concerns about image quality and mechanical breakdowns.

The VA oversees about $1.8 billion in research annually and plans to spend about $56 million on post-deployment mental health next year. On occasion, critics have accused the VA of covering up research that might show links between deployments and medical problems.

VA spokesman Mark Ballesteros said VA research in general "has benefited both veterans and the entire nation by moving medical science forward."

Last month, a top VA administrator defended the Waco center's MRI program, arguing that the lessons already learned from this device have assisted in improving design of future units including those deployed to serve combat troops in conflict zones.

In the past year, VA officials have hired both a new center director and a supervisor for its neuroimaging program and plan to restart research on the scanner once they reduce the vibrations they say led to its image quality problems.