Dr. Kelly Sue Harvey, MD

I recently had a ACE exam for VA disability with Dr. Harvey. My exam was for IBS (TERA, MUCMI), she gave me an unfavorable opinion due to "not showing an association between My claimed disability and inservice TERA." When my favorable findings was that TERA is conceded, and I went on 2 deployments to the middle east post 911. Also, favorable findings that my IBS was found and treated multiple times while in the Navy- so I'm really unclear how she could give me an unfavorable opinion about this when I told her that I continue to struggle with this disease everyday. If any veterans have an upcoming exam with her, I would cancel it quick and submit for another examiner. She was awful.

One Star Review for Dr. Kelly Sue Harvey My experience with Dr. Kelly Sue Harvey was profoundly disappointing and professionally inadequate. I underwent a Compensation & Pension (CNP) exam for my service-connected conditions, specifically seeking a medical opinion on the clear, documented relationship between my PTSD and my obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), hypersomnolesence, and fragmented sleep. Despite my detailed explanation that my PTSD, the result of approximately 6-months of literal involuntary, punitive sleep-deprivation-torture, causes significant fractured sleep. While I certainly would never claim that PTSD *causes* Sleep Apnea, it’s obvious that my specific PTSD diagnosis and corresponding symptoms, do nothing less than aggravate the severity and symptoms of my sleep apnea. Dr. Harvey disregarded this evidence and my personal statement elaborating on my need to answer the question of aggravation, not causation, her report submitted to the VA ultimately kept that critical… and fundamental error. She incorrectly propounded on the question of whether my OSA is “proximately due to" my PTSD, which is not the legal standard of service connecting secondary conditions required by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The correct and necessary question, which she failed to address completely, disregarding my personal letter requesting as much, is whether my non-service-connected condition is *aggravated* by my service-connected condition (PTSD). By focusing on the wrong question, her medical opinion is not only inaccurate but also useless, likely detrimental for my VA claim. And, will likely cost me six more months void of proper treatment and several full days of effort to correct. Her conclusion that my conditions "do not affect my ability to be productive or work" feels dismissive of the significant daily impact these disabilities have had on my life. Im unable to sleep no more than 4 hours per night, broken up into approximately 4-6 sessions of sweating night-terror. I live so exhausted, I am always too tired to even feel safe driving. This exam felt like a checkbox exercise for money, rather than a thorough, impartial medical assessment, and I wonder how many veterans out there have received the same from her. Dr. Harvey’s failure to apply the correct CFR standard has potentially jeopardized my claim indefinitely. I now feel more unheard than ever, frustrated, holding a report that does not reflect the reality of my medical conditions to the VA or satisfy the intent of the law. I cannot in good conscience recommend her for any veteran seeking a competent and legally sufficient medical opinion or C&P exam for secondary conditions exacerbated by primaries - if the VA orders one for you and she’s the examiner, kindly request a different examiner.