Congresswoman Renee Ellmers (R-NC-02) released the following statement this morning following last night's announced firing of Col. Steven Brewster and suspensions of three top deputies at Fort Bragg's Womack Army Medical Center:

"The recent problems affecting the healthcare of our nation's military struck home last night at Fort Bragg. While the details continue to unfold, the initial reports of substandard care and the neglect of our country's warriors and veterans should shock and outrage not only the Fort Bragg community, but the nation as a whole."

"While I appreciate the decision by the Department of Defense to act decisively following their review of glaring problems at Womack Army Medical Center, there remain many serious problems. Over the past month we have uncovered numerous reports of a nationwide failure in regards to the health care and support of our veterans and the men and women who fight for our country. This is shameful and must be addressed immediately. I will continue to work with my colleagues in the House to ensure we hold those leaders accountable and do what is necessary to strengthen and improve medical care for our military, our veterans and their families."

This morning, The New York Times reported on the firing of Col. Steven Brewster as head of Fort Bragg's Womack Army Medical Center after the deaths of two patients in their 20s over the past 10 days, shortly after they sought treatment at the hospital’s emergency room:

The shake-up at the hospital, Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg, N.C., came at a moment of heightened sensitivity about health care in the military community, stirred by the furor over treatment delays in the separate medical system serving the nation’s veterans. Late Tuesday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered a broad review to ensure that military patients — many of them active-duty service members and their families — are not facing similar problems.

Pentagon data shows that Womack, which performs more than 14,000 inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures a year, had a higher-than-expected rate of surgical complications from January 2010 to July 2013, the latest data available. In March, the hospital suspended all elective surgery for two days after inspectors from the Joint Commission found fault with surgical infection control procedures.