At least 48 Veterans Affairs hospitals conducted radiation experiments during the Cold War, but officials are unsure whether that includes the Salt Lake VA medical center.
"We don't have confirmation that we have actually performed experiments, but on the other hand, we don't know that we haven't," said VA medical center spokesman Wayne Murdock in Salt Lake City.Under directives issued by Veterans Affairs Secretary Jesse Brown on Jan. 7, VA hospitals are searching for records on any radiation research between 1947 and 1979.
Murdock said records of studies dating back 40 years might not have been maintained. However, the medical center is checking, he said.
"We are looking, but it will take a while," Murdock said.
In Washington, VA Department spokeswoman Linda Stalzey said a review of summary annual reports between 1947 and 1979 revealed the number of hospitals doing such work "but didn't include specifically by name which hospitals were involved."
So VA Secretary Brown directed each VA hospital to search immediately for any records on radioisotope nuclear medicine or radiation research conducted during those years.
"I believe that every VA hospital must now act in the best interests of anyone who has ever been treated, examined or involved in research in a VA facility by aggressively conducting this review. I am committed to searching for the truth," he said.
The VA acknowledged last month that military patients in 14 facilities - including a Framingham, Mass., hospital, where patients were fed food mixed with radioactive substances - participated in radiation tests, often without being informed.
Stalzey said the number of hospitals involved increased to 48 last week with the discovery of more documents, but little is known about the exact nature of the experiments because documents make only brief, summary statements about them.
Stalzey said hospitals were asked to make a broad review of records, including the minutes of radioisotope committees and any applications for such things as licenses from the Energy Department or its forerunner, the Atomic Energy Commission.
Stalzey said hospitals are supposed to report by Jan. 21 on what they find in their records between 1947 and 1960, and by Feb. 7 for records between 1961 and 1979.
Statements by the VA show that as early as 1947, VA was encouraging the use of radiation techniques in medical research.
Documents said use of radioactive materials was to help with medical research, clinical diagnosis and medical treatment of patients - but the program was kept secret.
The VA reports that documents said that in 1947, VA Chief Medical Director Paul Hawley wrote he worried about problems VA might have "in connection with alleged service-connected disability claims," so he classified the existence of VA's Atomic Medicine Division as "confidential."
Brown said, "It is extremely upsetting to me that VA apparently concealed for an undetermined length of time the existence of their Atomic Medicine Division, and I have ordered a thorough review of the records to attempt to piece together why this was done and the consequences."
VA statements said the early program studied the effects of radiation on thyroid function and disease, heart and blood diseases and skin diseases.
It said by 1948, the VA operated at least eight radioisotope labs. By 1951, it had 14 - and by 1958 it had 48. Annual reports said 399 radiation study projects were carried out in 1955 and 560 in 1956.
Some reports said facilities where radiation testing was carried out might number as many as 51. So far the VA has only confirmed 48 sites.
Veterans who believe they may have been involved in such research were invited to call the VA's general toll-free information number, 1-800-827-1000.
The VA said its hospitals pioneered the medical use of radioisotopes. But nuclear medicine did not become a clinical program in VA hospitals until the 1960s.