The West Los Angeles Medical Center of the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System has been a growing issue for veterans and the city for a number of years. With lawsuits, numerous probations of both staff and research, complaints filed with the Office of Inspector General (OIG) in Washington, D.C., complaints to their union American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), and complaints filed internally, not much has progressed in this Los Angeles local VA.
The issues are far beyond fiscal concerns for the VA. As seen in national headlines, malpractice, an influx of veterans, not enough staff, and a general lackadaisical attitude, plague the system. Our vets that put their lives on the line, at jeopardy, and at service for this nation, are not being treated with the dignity and quality care they deserve.
According to an internal source at The West Los Angeles Medical Center, that wishes to remain anonymous due to sure backlash from management, the VA has been sweeping things under the rug for years. When issues are brought to attention, management plays favorites and does not threaten the jobs of the staff. OIG, either, does not get word of it, or does nothing about it.
The insider explains, “Charge nurses, aka ‘nurses in charge,’ turn a blind eye to poor behavior and workplace standards due to high workloads.”
Such minor examples provided were staff arriving late or leaving early, and sleeping on the job when things are slow; as well as staff cussing at, and in front of, vets and their respective families. Additionally, “There are multiple times per week that nurses are not found on the work floor for upwards of an hour and sometimes longer,” which is too close to comfort to “patient abandonment,” and would be considered, by many, a form of medical malpractice. RNs turn the other way and are tight-knit, and backed by unions.
Much more seriously, the insider scoop details a grim vision, “LVNs have stolen medical drugs from the hospital and reported it as ‘missing,’” with no investigations to regulate the thievery.
The anonymous source entails, “There isn’t always enough supplies.” “If a patient is on a ‘no code status,’ where there is a no resuscitation order, and have no one to speak on their behalf, it is not unheard of that pain medications not be provided, or that the dosages are restricted.”
“Many vets that come to the VA hospital just suffer and/or die.”
The VA staff is provided a means to report issues through an internal software complaint system known as “ROC.” These complaints are sent to management, but apparently not reviewed by the Office of Inspector General; OIG has their own process of taking complaints and tips. When the OIG arrives for routine checkups, they ask the management which vets in the VA they should speak with in order to see how the staff is performing. The VA management then sends the OIG to vets that are complacent and not having serious issues. Ergo, serious issues are further ignored.
In a statement made before the Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs on July 30th, 2015, recently appointed Deputy Inspector General, Linda A. Halliday, stated, “All complaints are logged and receive a preliminary evaluation by a Hotline analyst. Based upon the nature and substance of the complaint, the Hotline analyst determines whether the complaint merits referral to one of the Directorates within the OIG…”
Halliday later continues, “It may be unavoidable to disclose a complainant’s identity to VA in order for the allegation to be reviewed.” The Deputy Inspector General also stipulates in certain situations where whistleblowers do come forward, if they do not provide their name or sign testimonies, “We have no choice but to discontinue processing the complaint.”
The West Los Angeles Medical Center, OIG, and AFGE were contacted; each refused to comment.
