Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Previously Unreported Problems At VA Hospitals Detailed
Military Times: VA Mismanagement, Malpractice Detailed In Reports
More than 120 previously unpublished investigations by the Veterans Affairs Department's inspector general, dating as far back as 2006, reveal problems at VA medical centers nationwide ranging from medical malpractice and patient safety concerns to mismanagement, infighting and corruption. VA Assistant Inspector General John Daigh posted the reports on the VA inspector general's website in April after receiving criticism that his office failed to disclose results of an investigation into the Tomah Wisconsin VA Medical Center charging that a psychiatrist prescribed dangerous amounts of painkillers and other medications to patients, resulting in at least one death. (Kime, 5/17)
The Washington Post: VA’s Ability To Increase Health Professionals Is ‘Seriously Fractured’
Agency understaffing was a key flaw exposed during last year’s scandal over the cover-up of long patient wait times at the Department of Veterans Affairs. It has too few health-care employees to timely serve the wounded warriors and others among its clientele. (Davidson, 5/17)
