Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
VA Inspector General Failed To Properly Investigate Whistleblower Claims, Special Counsel Says
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' inspector general failed to properly investigate a whistleblower's claims that a west suburban Chicago VA hospital had covered up delays in veterans' access to care, federal investigators said Thursday. Germaine Clarno, a social worker and union president at Hines VA Hospital, found out in 2011 that supervisors at the hospital were telling workers to "zero out" patient wait times and to avoid using the hospital's official electronic scheduling system in order to mask major delays in veterans receiving treatment. (Briscoe, 2/25)
The Department of Veterans Affairs ousted the head of its Ohio-based regional network Thursday and disciplined an official at the Cincinnati VA medical center in connection with a probe of the hospital’s management and veterans’ care. The agency said its findings are being referred for a possible federal criminal investigation. (Sewell, 2/25)
The Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center will be joining other VA hospitals across the country for a "stand down" Saturday, when health officials will analyze ways to reduce wait times for patients with urgent needs. The Lovell facility in North Chicago, which is a hybrid health model that treats veterans and active duty members and their families, currently ranks among the top five VA hospitals for shortest wait times, said Stephanie Caccomo, the center's public affairs specialist. (Abderholden, 2/25)
