Thursday, July 18, 2013

HVAC to Examine MST Care

WASHINGTON, D.C.— On Friday, July 19, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. in room 334 of the Cannon House Office Building, the Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing to examine Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense medical care and treatment options for survivors of military sexual trauma.

Military sexual trauma, or MST, refers to experiences of sexual assault or repeated, threatening acts of sexual harassment. DoD estimates that 26,000 service members experienced some form of MST in 2012, and according to VA, about one in five women and one in 100 men seen by the Veterans Health Administration report having experienced some form of sexual trauma during their military service. While MST rates are higher among women, the majority of victims are men, according to DoD.

The effects of MST do not disappear once a victim leaves military service, and can have long-term physical and mental health consequences. The purpose of this hearing is to examine VA and DoD capabilities for treating MST within the active duty and veteran populations as well as any gaps in care and services that may exist in order to help ensure a structured, competent and coordinated continuum of care for MST survivors.

The following event is open to the press:

WHO: Subcommittee on Health

WHAT: Hearing: "Safety for Survivors: Care and Treatment for Military Sexual Trauma"

WHEN: 10:00 a.m., Friday, July 19, 2013

WHERE: Room 334, Cannon House Office Building and streaming at veterans.house.gov

The witness list is as follows:

Panel 1

Victoria Sanders

Veteran, MST Survivor

Lisa Wilken

Veteran, MST Survivor

Brian Lewis

Veteran, MST Survivor

Tara Johnson

Veteran, MST Survivor

Panel 2

Michael Shepherd M.D

Physician, Office of Health Care Inspections

Office of the Inspector General