Legislators Want to Discuss Marion VA
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Printable FormatLegislators Want to Discuss Marion VA
The Southern BY JOHN D. HOMAN
MARION - U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Barack Obama and Rep. Jerry Costello want to know who are responsible for nine reported patient deaths at the VA Medical Center in Marion last year. They also want to know how that decline in quality of patient care occurred.
The three legislators have requested a meeting with James Peake, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to discuss the progress of an investigation into the Marion facility.
"As (outpatient) surgical procedures restart in Marion, it is important that we continue to work toward returning the VAMC to a full-service medical facility," Durbin said. "This cannot be done before the conclusion of the ABI (Administrative Board of Investigation) report and without a permanent leadership team in place. I expect the VA to make every effort to finish this report and implement the recommendations as soon as possible."
Obama said veterans nationwide should expect nothing less than the best care and treatment at veterans' facilities in Illinois and throughout the United States.
"After last year's unacceptable tragedies at the Marion VA, we must do everything we can to guarantee that the VA maintains the highest standards for its medical personnel and operations," Obama said. "Our veterans must not be put in danger when they are seeking help. I am committed to working with Sen. Durbin, my Illinois colleagues, and Secretary Peake to ensure this facility is once again capable of providing our veterans with the quality medical attention they deserve."
While some progress is being made at Marion, Costello said, there are still many questions that need to be answered.
"A full public accounting of the problems at the facility needs to be made by the VA in order to move forward," he said.
In a Feb. 19 letter, Peake informed Durbin that the ABI was interviewing VA employees and would complete its final report in April.
But despite multiple inquiries into the status of the ABI's final report, no revised completion date has been offered. On May 8, Marion resumed low-risk, outpatient surgeries that were suspended Aug. 31 of last year after an apparent spike in post-surgical deaths.
In a letter sent to Peake, the legislators said "poor leadership and communication led to serious problems at the facility, including surgical malfeasance associated with the deaths of nine veterans."
The VA reassigned five employees, including the director, chief of staff and chief of surgery to non-clinical areas after concerns about the quality of patient care at the facility arose in 2007.
The reassignments became effective as early as Sept. 14 of last year. After a three-month delay, the VA convened an Administrative Board of Investigation (ABI) to determine which individuals at the Marion VAMC were responsible for allowing these serious problems to continue.
"In a Feb. 19, 2008, letter, you informed Sen. Durbin that the ABI was interviewing VA employees and would complete its final report in April," the legislators told Peake. "That date has passed. Our staff has contacted your office on multiple occasions to inquire into the status of the ABI's final report. Your office has been unable to offer a completion date.
"We are also concerned that veterans are being asked to travel for surgical operations that once were available to them in Marion. While we are pleased that the VAMC resumed minor outpatient surgeries on May 8, we are looking for more information from you on the plans for returning the Marion VAMC to a full-service medical facility."
Sylvia Jackson, acting communications director for the Marion hospital, did not return a call Tuesday afternoon.