Posts Tagged ‘VA’

VA Limits Surgeries At Some Hospitals After Deaths

Friday, May 7th, 2010

by David Schaper : May 6, 2010

The Department of Veterans Affairs is implementing a new rating system for its hospitals that at some facilities will limit the types of surgeries doctors can perform.

The changes come after several patients died because of surgical mistakes at one Illinois VA hospital.

VA officials acknowledge that at least nine patients died directly because of surgical mistakes by doctors at the Marion VA Medical Center in southern Illinois in 2006 and 2007. A VA investigation found that poor care at Marion contributed to the deaths of at least 10 other patients, and to the illness and injury of several more.

The investigation found doctors performing surgeries they were not qualified or trained to perform. It found the Marion VA hired one doctor in particular, thought to be responsible for many of the deaths, not knowing he was under investigation for malpractice in Massachusetts.

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Posted in VA Reports | No Comments »

Review uncovers 6 more cases of botched cancer treatments at VA in Philadelphia

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

PHILADELPHIA — Six more cases have been found of cancer patients being given incorrect radiation doses at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia.

The errors happened in a common surgical procedure to treat prostate cancer. That brings the total to 98 veterans who were given incorrect radiation doses over a six-year period at the hospital.  The program had treated 114 cancer patients before it was halted when the problem surfaced in 2008.

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Posted in Military Healthcare Problems, VA Healthcare Problems | No Comments »

Inspector General Reports on VA Misdiagnoses

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

The VA Inspector General (IG) issued his report regarding an email sent by a VA psychologist last year that appeared to discourage health care staff from diagnosing veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The IG investigation, requested by U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, found that while the e-mail was poorly written and inappropriate, it did not result in a change in diagnoses at that VA facility.

Click here to read entire report.

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Sen. Webb calls for investigation of vets hospital

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

Sen. Jim Webb is asking the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to examine the quality of health care services being provided veterans at the Hampton VA Medical Center.

In a letter Monday to VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, Webb wrote that since January 2007, his staff has received 149 complaints about the Hampton center from patients or their spouses. The allegations range from abusive patient treatment to wrongful death.

The Virginia Democrat also cited two critical reviews of the center over the past year by the VA inspector general and several news reports that raised concerns about the level of care provided there.

Click here to read the full article from The Virginian-Pilot

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