Secret Appointment Waiting List Discovered at Omaha VA Hospital

Legal Help for Veterans is a law firm helping veterans get the benefits they deserve.

Northville, MI (Law Firm Newswire) December 14, 2017 – The care of 87 veterans awaiting mental health appointments at a Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital was delayed due to an unauthorized waiting list maintained by employees.

VA officials said there were no firings after the scandal emerged at the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System in Omaha. They did not disclose why the list existed or who was responsible for keeping it. However, out of the two employees who were involved, one resigned while another retired. In addition, bonuses were withheld based on the performance data linked to the secret list investigation.

“It is unacceptable that such incidents are still occurring even several years after the Phoenix waiting list scandal,” commented Jim Fausone, a Michigan veterans attorney. “The VA needs to take concrete action to make sure errors with scheduling procedures do not occur again, not just at the Omaha facility, but also across other VA hospitals nationwide. Otherwise, veterans will continue to suffer in the pursuit of timely care.”

VA Secretary David Shulkin wrote three separate letters responding to Iowa and Nebraska senators about the waiting list. He said, “Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken if warranted.”

The letters blamed the unauthorized list on “training deficiencies” related to the Omaha VA facility’s medical support staff. They were allegedly mismanaging its electronic appointment list in violation of strict guidelines the VA issued in July 2016 for creating and maintaining waiting lists.

A compliance officer’s audit from this year showed that there were two whistleblower complaints about unauthorized appointment waiting lists at the Omaha VA mental health clinic.

It echoes a nationwide scandal first discovered at the Phoenix VA facility in 2014. Employees maintained secret lists that resulted in veterans dying while awaiting care. The Omaha facility was not among the 40 medical centers named in the scandal.

Shulkin’s letters said the veterans who had their names on the list received other forms of care while waiting for mental health appointments, such as inpatient treatment and counseling through primary care. However, he did not specify whether the veterans were told about the delays.

Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com

Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC
41700 West Six Mile Road, Suite 101
Northville, MI 48168
Toll Free Phone: 800.693.4800

• VA Medical System Concerns Should Caution Veterans
  Jim Fausone, Esq. High quality medical care is something that veterans should be able to rely on. Recently, the Government Accountability Office released findings that should lead veterans to be cautious regarding their medical care. The findings indicate that the VA fails to report 90% of poor-performing doctors to national and state databases. These databases […]
• Artificial intelligence is helping veterans open up about PTSD, say researchers
  A computerized “virtual human” could soon be helping veterans cope with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to recent research funded by the Department of Defense. University of Southern California (USC) researchers conducted a study using a computerized avatar named Ellie. They found that service members and veterans were three times more likely to disclose their […]
• VA secretary under investigation for taxpayer-funded Europe trip
  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) inspector general launched a probe into Secretary David Shulkin’s July 10-day Europe trip. Shulkin was criticized for spending significant time on leisure activities like sightseeing and shopping during the taxpayer-funded trip to the United Kingdom and Denmark. Shulkin made the trip so that he could attend a conference on […]
• Attorney General Schuette Shuts Down Veterans Charity Scam
  Jim Fausone, Esq. Donating to charities that support our veterans is an important contribution. It is also important, however, to understand the charity’s purpose and what your contribution is being put towards. Last week, Michigan’s Attorney General and his Charitable Trust Section reached a settlement with Healing American Heroes, Inc. and its professional fundraiser Jeremy […]