The Veterans Health Administration is under scrutiny once again, as the VA Office of Inspector General recently released 120 previously unpublished investigative reports, dating as far back as 2006, on VA medical center misconduct. The reports, which are now posted on the VA Inspector General’s website, detail cases of wrongdoing ranging from medical malpractice, negligence, patient safety to the falsification of documents, mismanagement and corruption, notes Berkowitz and Hanna LLC.
The VA has been plagued by scandal in recent years, prompting serious action by law enforcement, government, and the Commander-In-Chief himself. On June 11, 2014, the FBI opened a criminal investigation on the VA and President Obama ordered a White House Investigation into the “significant and chronic system failures” and “a corrosive culture” inside the Veterans Health Administration.
The 120 reports cover a wide spectrum of minor to major incidents ― from the unsubstantiated case of a VA nurse who allegedly put hot sauce on a patient’s doughnut in Murfreesboro, Tennessee to the tragic case of a San Diego veteran who was prescribed an antacid in a VA emergency room and sent home, only to die of a heart attack one day later in a civilian hospital. Other examples of malpractice involve incidents where VA psychiatrists have overprescribed dangerous amounts of medication and painkillers, as well as cancer patients being misdiagnosed.
Both the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs committees have promised to enforce additional legislative measures to ensure that the Department of Veteran Affairs complies with transparency and investigation laws, reports the firm.
Note: We did not represent any of the parties in this case.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Berkowitz Hanna
