WASHINGTON – Whistleblowers opened up to lawmakers Tuesday night about the relentless retaliation they have suffered for exposing fraud within Veterans Affairs’ hospitals.
Four witnesses told a House committee that VA employees have been retaliated against for reporting shoddy management, including manipulated appointment wait-time records, deleted medical records and thousands of pending or unprocessed applications from returning service members.
In April, reports about phony wait-time records and other issues recounted by the witnesses Tuesday led to the forced resignation of former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki the following month.
“The manipulation of data to gain performance goals is a widespread cancer within the VA,” said Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
Dr. Jose Mathews, former chief of psychiatry at the St. Louis VA Health Care System, said he was removed two weeks ago from his position after disclosing “a few egregious errors” made in recording disability evaluations. The errors resulted in two avoidable deaths and an inpatient suicide attempt, he said.
“Retaliation has been relentless,” said Dr. Christian Head, an associate director at the Greater Los Angeles VA Health Care System, who said his pay was withheld two weeks after he testified on behalf of a physician who he said was wrongly terminated.
“There exists a cancer within leadership…that perpetuate this idea that we should be silent—that we shouldn’t stand up and do the right thing.”
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., said she would introduce a bill this week to better protect VA whistleblowers—a name often given to government employees who expose wrongdoing. Kirkpatrick asked witnesses to describe one thing the VA “can do immediately to change its culture of silencing whistleblowers.”
Dr. Katherine Mitchell, a medical director at the Phoenix VA Health Care System, said that whistleblowers, putting their careers on the line, should be ensured that their complaints about retaliation will be investigated immediately.
Scott Davis, program specialist at the VA National Health Eligibility Center in Atlanta, said the body responsible for enforcing whistleblower protection should not be part of the VA. He said those who have entrusted him with their complaints are scared to cooperate with the VA Office of Inspector General.
Jose Mathews said the managers who retaliate against their employees must take greater accountability for their wrongdoings.
“It is extremely important that while we work on data integrity…that people step forward and are able to speak the truth and talk about what is really happening at the patient interaction level,” Mathews said.
The hearing concluded with remarks from top VA officials.
“I apologize to everyone whose voice has been stifled,” said James Tuchsmidt, the VA’s acting principal deputy under secretary for health, after listening to three hours of witnesses’ testimony.
“I’m past being upset and mad and angry about this. I’m very disillusioned and sickened by all of this.”
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