VA Workers Accuse Agency Of Actively Trying To Silence, Retaliate Against Anyone Who Speaks Out About Patient Care
Health care professionals at the Department of Veterans Affairs talk to USA Today about how they've been stripped of their duties in what they see as an attempt from agency leaders to punish them after they spoke out about problems with patient care at VA facilities. "The VA is two-faced: What it says it does and what it actually does are two entirely different things," said Katherine Mitchell, a physician who reported shortfalls in care at the Phoenix VA that earned her a federal "Public Servant of the Year Award" in 2014.
USA Today:
Exclusive: 'The VA Is Two-Faced.' Whistleblowers Say Managers Are Trying To Silence Them On Veteran Care
Three Veterans Affairs health care professionals who reported patient care issues say the agency continues to try to silence them, jeopardizing veterans and undercutting a key Trump promise of whistleblower protection. They work at different sites – in the Phoenix area, Baltimore, and Iowa City, Iowa – yet the VA response has been similar. All were stripped of assigned patient-care and oversight duties, and they suspect VA managers are retaliating against them for speaking out, and sidelining them to prevent them from discovering or disclosing any more problems with veteran health care. (Slack, 6/22)
The Hill:
VA Employees Say Agency Is Actively Retaliating Against Whistleblowers
"The VA is two-faced: What it says it does and what it actually does are two entirely different things," Mitchell told USA Today. "Whistleblowers who are brave enough to report problems serve as a vital safety net for veterans. If people can’t identify problems, veterans will suffer and die. That’s what it boils down to." "As a physician, nurse, and basically as a human being, I will not back down if someone’s health or safety is being threatened," she added in the interview. (Bowden, 6/22)
