Snowe Visits Maine Soldier at Walter Reed Hospital

Also Requests Documents Relating to All Federal Contracts Performed at the Hospital

            WASHINGTON, D.C. – After an extensive meeting with a Maine soldier recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center today, Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) vowed to investigative legislative remedies to assist recovering soldiers and their families navigate an extensive and often cumbersome bureaucracy essential in their treatment.   In addition, as Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Senator Snowe sent a letter to the Army requesting “all documents concerning the award and performance of small business contracts” at the sprawling facility which has been the subject of intense scrutiny in recent weeks.

 “During my visit today, I saw such inspiration in the soldiers who in the face of serious and debilitating combat wounds are making courageous strides in their rehabilitation.  I was honored and privileged to also meet with the staff providing such outstanding medical care to our brave men and women,” said Senator Snowe who met for more than an hour with Sgt. Brian Levensailor, a Maine National Guardsman who has served more than 26 years in the military.  Being treated for serious back problems due to an accident in Afghanistan, Levensailor has spent the last three months as an outpatient at Walter Reed. 

 “This dedicated Mainer has been through a terrible physical and emotional ordeal complicated by a burdensome bureaucracy that is not unique to Walter Reed but unfortunately is all too common throughout our veteran care system,” said Senator Snowe.  One of the areas that Senator Snowe will be looking into is the availability of “patient advocates” for wounded soldiers who need impartial and effective representation as they move through the system.  Sgt. Levensailor told the Senator that while he has received excellent health care, his recovery is compromised by what he calls an “adversarial” system demanding too often that he and other soldiers provide “burden of proof” of their medical conditions and impact on their careers.

 “Sgt. Levensailor like many of our recovering soldiers faces almost insurmountable obstacles including health problems, separation from family, and a heavy bureaucracy in their medical care.  I don’t blame these soldiers for being so frustrated and I will be looking specifically at ways to enhance patient advocacy,” said Senator Snowe.

 In addition to meeting with Levensailor, the Senator sent a letter today to the Acting Secretary of the Army demanding full documentation of the award and performance of any small business contractors at Walter Reed.  During recent investigations into conditions there, serious allegations were raised about the potential thoroughness and quality of work provided by government contractors to the facility.  Senator Snowe’s letter requests information regarding whether small business contractors or subcontractors contributed to what she called “the deplorable conditions which have been uncovered recently and which our nation needs to correct immediately,” said Senator Snowe.  The Senator has set a deadline of April 5, 2007, to receive information for all such contracts from the last three years.

 Before leaving Walter Reed today, the Senator also reviewed the facility’s state-of-the-art rehabilitation center where soldiers—including double amputees—worked with physical therapists on rebuilding their strength and dexterity.   She praised the medical care being given by healthcare providers and the “stories of these courageous, young Americans who are facing extraordinary challenges with an optimism and personal drive that is an inspiration to us all.”

 The text of Senator Snowe’s letter to the Army is included below:

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