Investigation Into VA Wait Lists Expands To More Hospitals
Whistleblowers claim officials kept secret waitlists to collect bonuses for on-time treatment
Whistleblowers at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital in the Chicago area claim officials kept secret waitlists to collect bonuses for on-time treatment, WGN TV reported. Accusers say vets on the secret lists wait days, weeks or months before receiving treatment for physical and mental illnesses, while hospital executives avoid penalties and even get bonuses, according to the article.
Even in Madison, Wisconsin, where the VA hospital is consistently rated among the best in the country, veterans are calling for investigations into operations, Channel3000.com reported.
The investigations began after allegations surfaced in April that as many as 40 veterans died while waiting for treatment at the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System, and were part of a "secret waiting list" designed to hide about 1,500 ailing veterans who waited months at a time to see a doctor, FierceHealthcare previously reported. Since then, a staff member at a San Antonio VA hospital made similar claims.
"Due to the serious nature of recent allegations, leadership at the Hines VA Hospital requested that the VA Office of the Inspector General conduct an investigation," the hospital said in an email statement to FierceHealthcare. "The VA takes any allegations about patient care or employee misconduct very seriously. If the allegations are true, the inappropriate behavior is unacceptable and employees will be held accountable."
VA Secretary Eric Shinseki will address the allegations at a Senate hearing, although an internal probe found no evidence to substantiate the claims about the secret waiting list at the Phoenix VA, according to Channel3000.com.
Steve Young, director of the Salt Lake City VA Health Care System, took over as interim director of the embattled Phoenix VA, after the department placed Director Sharon Helman and two other employees on administrative leave earlier this month.
To learn more:
- here's the WGN TV article
- read the Channel3000.com article
Related Articles:
VA wait list cover-up may extend beyond Phoenix system
Secret VA wait list reveals 40 vets died while awaiting treatment
Interim director takes over Phoenix VA Health Care System Delays at VA hospital lead to patient deaths
Report: VA doesn't adequately protect patients from error-prone doctors
Thank You Fierce Healthcare and Ms Sullivan.
Govt. Healthcare. Throwing more money at it won't fix it. This is what inevitably happens whenever and wherever Govt. takes over.
Quite simply, they Can't go broke and out of business no matter How badly they screw up. They Don't have to even Pretend it matters. They just keep going back to Congress for more budget increases.
If you live in a State or Congressional District represented by a Republican, and that Republican even Hints at fixing ObamaCare rather than repealing it, you need to call that Republican on the phone and give them a piece of your mind.
Primary Challenge.
Vote them Out.
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