VA knew for years about dangerous conditions at Washington, D.C., hospital
Donovan Slack, USA TODAY Published 10:00 a.m. ET March 7, 2018 | Updated 12:46 p.m. ET March 7, 2018
WASHINGTON — Department of Veterans Affairs officials at nearly every level knew for years about sterilization lapses and equipment shortfalls at the Washington, D.C., VA Medical Center, but they were either unwilling or unable to fix the problems, an inspector general's investigation found. The failures put patients at risk and squandered taxpayer dollars.
Local, regional and national officials had been informed of the issues repeatedly since 2013, but investigators concluded “a culture of complacency and a sense of futility pervaded offices at multiple levels.”
“In interviews, leaders frequently abrogated individual responsibility and deflected blame to others,” the investigation report says. “Despite the many warnings and ongoing indicators of serious problems, leaders failed to engage in meaningful interventions of effective remediation.”
The probe found clinicians put patients under anesthesia before realizing they didn’t have equipment to perform scheduled procedures. In some cases, they canceled and redid surgeries later. In others, they ran across the street to a private-sector hospital to borrow supplies during procedures.
Investigators also found more than 1,000 boxes of unsecured documents that contained veterans’ personal information — including medical records — in storage facilities, the basement and a dumpster.
The hospital paid exorbitant amounts for supplies and equipment, including $300 per speculum that could have been purchased for $122 each, and $900 for a special needle that was available for $250.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ion/396914002/