VA head vows top-down review of DC medical center

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin on Thursday promised a full review of the VA’s Washington, D.C., medical center after a scathing report.

Shulkin’s pledge comes one day after a government watchdog warned patients there that they are at “unnecessary risk” due to the center’s inventory management and staffing deficiencies.

“No veterans were harmed, but the risk was not acceptable to me,” Shulkin said, according to The Associated Press. “There will be accountability if there’s wrongdoing.” 

{mosads}Shulkin added he would install Lawrence Connell, one of his close VA advisers, as acting director of the D.C. medical center to ensure shortcomings there are thoroughly probed and solved.

The VA’s Office of Inspector General on Wednesday issued a report stating its “lack of confidence” that the VA would fix problems at its D.C. center quickly.

“At least some of these issues have been known to the Veterans Health Administration senior management for some time without effective remediation,” the report said.

The VA announced Wednesday that it was demoting Brian Hawkins, the hospital’s director, following the report’s findings.

The report found that the facility has no effective inventory system for managing medical equipment and supplies.

Eighteen of its 25 sterile satellite storage areas for supplies were dirty upon inspection, it added, and there are numerous critical senior safety positions that remain unfilled before tackling such issues.

Rep. Tim Walz (Minn.), the top Democrat on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said Thursday the VA requires stronger congressional oversight in the wake of the report’s results.

“When you have systematic failure on this level, management must be held accountable,” he said.