US Service Life July August 2014 | Page 15

FEATURE Blistering Review Criticizes VA For Downplaying Whistleblower Reports Of Deficient Patient Care Provided by Kaiser Health News Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner criticized the Department of Veterans Affairs in a Monday, June 23rd letter to President Barack Obama, noting that the agency failed to acknowledge allegations of poor patient care made by its own employees. The New York Times: Investigator Issues Sharp Criticism Of V.A. Response To Allegations About Care In a blistering letter sent to President Obama on Monday, the head of the agency that investigates whistle-blower complaints in the federal government criticized the Department of Veterans Affairs for not digging deeper into widespread allegations made by its own employees of poor or severely delayed patient care for veterans (Oppel, 6/23). Los Angeles Times: VA Fails To Acknowledge ‘Severity Of Problems,’ New Report Says In another damning report on the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Office of Special Counsel on Monday assailed the VA for failing to acknowledge the “severity of systemic problems” that have put patients at risk. Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner said in a letter to President Obama that her office found a “troubling pattern of deficient patient care” and expressed concern about what she termed the department’s unwillingness to acknowledge the impact of its problems on the health and safety of veterans. Her office is investigating more than 50 cases brought by whistle-blowers (Simon, 6/23). The Associated Press: VA Challenged On Handling Of Whistleblower Chargers a top federal investigator has identified “a troubling pattern of deficient patient care” at Veterans Affairs facilities around the country that she says was point- ed out by whistleblowers but downplayed by the department. The problems went far beyond the extraordinarily l