Dr. Brian Monahan, a Navy rear admiral who has served as the attending physician of the U.S. Capitol since 2009, resigned from his position on Thursday. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) confirmed the resignation following allegations of misconduct related to the clinical care and management of staff within the medical office.
The Office of the Attending Physician (OAP) has provided medical services to members of Congress, the Supreme Court, and Capitol staff since 1928 through the U.S. Navy. In addition to primary care, the office manages first aid for visitors and participates in disaster response planning for the Capitol complex. The resignation follows a report by the Department of Defense Inspector General regarding the office’s operations.
A source familiar with the matter told CBS News that the misconduct allegations involve the types of care Monahan provided and the tasks he assigned to sailors under his command. A report from the Navy Times indicated that military personnel in the office reported being pressured to work 70-to-80-hour weeks and perform tasks such as delivering medication to private residences in the early morning or providing personal grooming services for lawmakers.
The Inspector General's report identified a "gap in clinical quality management" and found that the office did not properly inventory or track certain prescription drugs, including pain medications and sleep aids. The watchdog stated that these oversight failures could lead to beneficiaries assuming health and safety risks because prescribing practices were not monitored. The report recommended that an outside group be designated to oversee quality control for the office.
Lawmakers and staff may notice changes in how they receive healthcare or how medications are distributed as the office implements the Inspector General’s five recommendations for improvement. These include the establishment of formal policies and procedures for employees and the introduction of external oversight to monitor clinical quality. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) stated on Thursday that while he did not know the specifics of the dismissal, he intends to ensure the health of members remains protected.
The Navy is currently conducting its own inquiry into the Office of the Attending Physician. The outcome of this investigation and the implementation of the watchdog’s recommendations will determine the future structure of medical care at the U.S. Capitol. A specific date for the appointment of a permanent successor to Monahan was not reported. Any new policies regarding staff work hours or prescription drug tracking will likely be established through the new quality management framework suggested by the Inspector General.