The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has found that 92 of 116 men treated in the hospital's brachytherapy program received incorrect doses of the radiation seeds, often because they landed in nearby organs or surrounding tissue rather than the prostate. Kao performed the majority of the procedures under a VA contract with the University of Pennsylvania, where he was on staff.
Under questioning from Sen. Arlen Specter, Kao acknowledged that he never informed patients when he missed the prostate or delivered insufficient doses.
Kao, however, said the mistakes did not necessarily amount to substandard care that had to be reported to the NRC or other agencies.
Congressman Adler questioned how the Dr. Kao still even had his medical license. From the NY Times:
Another member of the Congressional panel, Representative John Adler, Democrat of New Jersey, said after the hearing that he was "deeply troubled" by Dr. Kao's unwillingness to acknowledge his personal responsibility for Philadelphia's high failure rate. Mr. Adler expressed similar criticism of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the N.R.C.
"I was very troubled that the veterans administration could not offer a better explanation of how this pattern of substandard care occurred over the course of six years," Mr. Adler said, "and why there were not systems in place to give veterans the quality of care they have earned by serving their country."
And here's video of the hearing from the local ABC affiliate:
