Williamsville, N.Y. (WBEN) - In the weeks following the disturbing allegations of veteran mistreatment at the Buffalo VA Medical Center, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Tim Kennedy (D, NY-26) are pledging to hold officials at the hospital accountable, while also looking into other VA Hospitals in the system across the country.
Gillibrand is leading a bipartisan push demanding that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a VA-wide review of the Veterans Integrated Services Networks’ (VISN) community care consult practices to ensure that no veteran in Buffalo, New York State or anywhere in the country suffers egregious delays in care again.
"Caring for our veterans is our most sacred duty," said Sen. Gillibrand on Friday while in Williamsville at VFW Post 416. "But the Buffalo VA failed to honor that duty and caused unimaginable suffering for Western New York veterans and their families as a result. This can never happen again - in Buffalo, in New York, or anywhere in the country. Today, I’m demanding a VA-wide review of veteran community care consult practices to ensure that no one is slipping through the cracks. I am pledging to hold the VA accountable for its egregious failures last year and ensure that every patient has access to high-quality and timely care moving forward."
"This egregious neglect and failure is a betrayal to the women and men who have made incredible sacrifices to safeguard our nation. I join in requesting that the GAO conduct a full review of community care practices, which did not meet the needs of our veterans," added Rep. Kennedy during Friday's press conference. "I will not rest until the Buffalo VA has the leadership, staff, funding, and infrastructure — including a new state-of-the-art facility — to deliver the care that our heroes have earned and deserve."
The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) released its findings following its inspection of the VA Western New York Health System in Buffalo. The report found a shocking pattern of apathy and incompetence on the part of Department facility and community care leaders in addressing the needs of patients with complex and high-risk conditions.
According to the report, the delays caused or led to an increased risk of harm to the patients.
One veteran passed away while waiting months to receive palliative care that would have helped manage cancer pain in their final months.
Another patient waited nine weeks to schedule radiation therapy for a new cancer malignancy, despite efforts by the chief of oncology to get the community care team to schedule treatment.
Another veteran in their twenties continued to suffer from seizures for another 10 months as they waited for a consult to be scheduled, the delay partially caused by a referral being canceled by the community care medical director.
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Gillibrand and Kennedy both say the failures by the leadership at the Buffalo VA Medical Center must never occur again, and veterans across the United States must be reassured they can receive timely and high-quality health care across the VA health care system.
As part of the Senator's request to the GAO, she's asking that the review should include, but not be limited to:
- Oversight of medical centers’ adherence to Veterans Health Administration (VHA) requirements for processing consults for conditions considered high-risk or complex;
- Whether consults are appropriately prioritized and consistently processed within VHA’s timeliness requirements;
- Reviewing how medical facility, VISN leaders, and the VHA Office of Integrated Veteran Care respond to concerns regarding delays in consult scheduling from providers, staff, patients, and their families and how this is built into VHA’s quality and risk management programs;
- Best practices to prevent and address leadership deficiencies within the community care scheduling process, including the prioritization of patient safety.