“Inappropriate Scheduling” Accusations at Veterans Administration Leads to Investigations
In the first week of May, the US Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki faced accusations of serious problems with secret waitlists and wrongful deaths of veterans waiting for delayed treatment at VA hospitals all over the country, but particularly in Phoenix, Arizona. Now, Veterans Administration investigations have led to several VA healthcare workers being put on leave.
The most recent healthcare workers to be put on leave are two in Durham, North Carolina.
Late on Monday, May 12th, the Veterans Administration issued a statement that a tip from an employee at the Durham VA Medical Center “indicated that some employees at that facility may have engaged in inappropriate scheduling practices at some point between 2009 and 2012.”
In April, Shinseki put an administrator and two other officials in Phoenix, seen as the epicenter of the waitlist and scheduling problems, on administrative leave. Last week, a nurse from the VA in Wyoming was put on administrative leave as well.
Shinseki is preparing to order a national audit of all Veterans Administration facilities. The VA has been pressured by lawmakers to clear up a backlog of untreated patients for years, and some of the hospitals, such as the one in Phoenix and another in South Carolina, have created hidden lists of patients to make it appear as if the backlog of untreated veterans were being cleared up.
“If true, these scheduling practices did not comply with VHA’s policy on Outpatient Scheduling Processes and Procedures,” the VA news release said.
South Carolina Also Epicenter of Veterans Administration Hospital Problem
While the information about the Phoenix Veterans Administration Hospital just broke, the problem with long wait lists and delayed treatment for veterans has been going on for months, or possibly years. South Carolina’s Williams Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Medical Center in Columbia is an epicenter of the problem, especially with their gastrointestinal division. Patients allegedly wait for months for endoscopies or colonoscopies, and those delays in diagnoses and treatments mean that more veterans die from gastrointestinal cancers.
In early April, Barry Coates, a veteran in South Carolina, testified about the delayed gastrointestinal treatment at the Dorn VA. Reportedly, in November 2010, Coates sought treatment at a VA hospital for severe rectal bleeding and abdominal pain. A doctor recommended a colonoscopy to find the source of the problem, but Coates faced delay after delay for more than a year. Finally, in December 2011, Coates received a colonoscopy and was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
If his cancer had been detected the year before, however, he may have been able to survive it. But by the time he finally received a diagnosis, the cancer was too advanced.
“The gross negligence of my ongoing problems and crippling backlog epidemic of the VA medical system has not only handed me a death sentence, but ruined the quality of life I have for the meantime.
The Veterans Administration Hospital reported that 23 patients died from gastrointestinal cancers linked to delays in care. Another 53 were given “institutional disclosures,” suggesting that problems with their care may have contributed to the severity of their gastrointestinal cancer.
The Strom Law Firm Can Help with VA Wrongful Death and Delayed Treatment Cases
The Veterans Benefit Lawyers at the Strom Law Firm, L.L.C. work with veterans to file claims for a variety of disabilities and can assist you in filing your claims. Veterans Disability can be complex. Not understanding the basics and not having counsel may leave you in a bind. We understand that you and your family need your benefits. We will put our years of experience to work for you to ensure that you have the representation necessary to actively pursue your claim. Call the Veterans Benefits Attorneys at the Strom Law Firm today to discuss your case. We will be glad to discuss any questions you may have during our free, confidential discussion. Call the attorneys at the Strom Law Firm at (803) 252-4800.
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