Serving PCVs and RPCVs should know that in 1991, the Peace Corps Health Care System was evaluated and improvements mandated. Reports of these evaluations are public records and available.(See Below)

In 1991, Senator Daniel K. Inouye, at the urging of a group of RPCVs, requested an GAO evaluation. The Report was published in July, 1991, entitled: Peace Corps Long-Needed Improvements to Volunteers’Health Care System, GAO/NSIAD-91-213.
On the basis of this report, Senator Inouye introduced legislation calling for the evaluation of Health-Care Services provided to Peace Corps Volunteers. S.3309 was the result and became Public Law No: 102-565. The legislation called for Peace Corps to secure independent evaluations of its health care system.

The first report was entitled: Peace Corps: BASELINE EVALUATION REPORT-Office of Medical Services-January 25, 1994. The second report was entitled: PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER HEALTH SYSTEM EVALUATION REPORT-December 28, 1994. The final report also entitled, PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER HEALTH SYSTEM EVALUATION REPORT was published February 28, 1997. The two latter evaluations were conducted by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

References:
1) GAO “Long-Needed Improvements to Volunteers’ Health Care System” July 1991
GAO/NSIAD -91-213. The GAO may be accessed online at: info@www.gao.gov
The telephone number is 202-512-6000 and the FAX is 202 512-6061

2) The legislation was passed in the 102nd Congress, S.3309 and became
Public Law No: 102-565 It can be accessed at http://thomas.loc.gov and then clicking on Legislation-Bill Summary & Status; choosing 102 for the Congress and the Bill number: S.3309

3) The actual evaluation reports, as cited above, are available from Peace Corps through the Freedom of Information Act at the following address:
Peace Corps
ATTN: Noelle Frangitane FOIA Officer
Office of Administratiive Services
1111 20th Street N.W.
Washington D.C. 20526

By bankass.com (0-1pool136-35.nas12.somerville1.ma.us.da.qwest.net - 63.159.136.35) on Monday, October 06, 2003 - 10:18 pm: Edit Post

Good Work Joey,

I am aware of these reports. I would like to add some info on these reports.

1. The Evaluations were done by the Joint Commission, but there was also a USAID contractor who did most of the work on the evaluation. I felt at the time that an AID contractor would not be the right people to be evaluating a health care system.

2. There has never been an evaluation by the AMA. Also, is the Peace Corps AMA certified?

3. Is Peace Corps accredited to be a hospital in Washington, D.C. registered with the city? Or can they get away with using Federal government standards?

4. Peace Corps medical systems did not take alot of the recommendations pointed out in the GAO report nor the evaluations.

5. In the GAO report in 1991, the GAO points out in one of their evaluations that some volunteers were misdiagnosed. Were these volunteers contacted by the Peace Corps?

Again, thanks Joey, you are keeping up the good fight.

Daniel