House Members Make Bipartisan Push to Address ‘Toxic’ Culture at VA Facility
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., is pressing Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough to address serious concerns raised by staff and others about the department’s facilities in Colorado.
Complaints of problems surrounding the management and operation of the Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Health Care System are not new.
In October, the system’s two top leaders were reassigned while the Office of the Inspector General completes an inquiry into the culture of the system. Then in November, The Denver Post reported a whistleblower’s allegations of woeful conduct at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center’s prosthetics department.
According to the report, staffers in the prosthetics department had been deleting Veterans’ requests for wheelchairs, artificial limbs and other items, to hide a large backlog in processing those requests.
After reading the account, Crow wrote Dr. Shereef Elnahal, the undersecretary for health at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, seeking an accounting of the problems in the prosthetics department.
“There is a sacred promise in America that if you step up to serve, the nation will be there for you when you take off the uniform,” wrote Crow, whose district encompasses the facility that houses the prosthetics department.
“I remain committed to ensuring not only the veterans in our community, but those who travel to this facility, receive the care they deserve,” he said.
Crow also wanted to know how many orders were deleted by staffers at the prosthetics department, how long this activity had been going on and what was being done to care for the Veterans whose cases were improperly closed or deleted.
The congressman also sought assurances about the level of care the hospital was providing to the other Veterans utilizing its services.
On Friday, Crow was joined by seven other members of the Colorado delegation to ask McDonough to address ongoing staff shortages, low staff morale and mismanagement at VA facilities within the state.
Though they said they appreciated Deputy Secretary Elnahal’s efforts to address the Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Health Care System’s many issues, the lawmakers said they continue to receive alarming reports concerning its culture, mismanagement and other practices that directly affect staff and the Veterans.
“While staff have expressed they feel optimistic … they are rightfully concerned about the future direction of hospital leadership,” the lawmakers said.
“Additionally, workplace violence remains an immense concern for employees,” they continued. “Just recently, two nurses received injuries as a result of a violent patient in the Psychiatric Unit at Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Health Care System. They claim short staffing is increasing the likelihood for workplace violence to occur.“
In addition to Crow, those signing the letter included Reps. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., Joe Neguse, D-Colo., Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Ken Buck, R-Colo., Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., and Yadira Caraveo, D-Colo.
“As you move forward in determining the next steps for Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Health Care System, we urge you to ensure VA is hearing staff concerns,” they wrote McDonough. “These nurses, doctors, specialists and other staff members dedicate their lives to serving Veterans, and it is imperative that they work in an environment that prioritizes their safety as well as their physical and mental wellbeing.”
Dan can be reached at [email protected] and at https://twitter.com/DanMcCue
