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VA Truth Tellers PRESS RELEASE3646 Youree Drive FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Shreveport, Louisiana 71105
VA Continues to Ignore Findings of Significant
Wait Time Delays and Delays in Veteran Access to Care
In early 2013 and 2014 Christopher Shea Wilkes initiated
complaints concerning the
manipulation of wait times for patients of the Overton Brooks
Veterans Administration MedicalCenter, faulty hiring practices and
abuse of compensation time practices. Wilkes said, “OvertonBrooks
was manipulating the reported wait times of new and existing
patients through the use of
improper scheduling practices and the lists were being used to
hide the lack of necessary prescribing mental health providers
and the lack of productivity of the existing providers.”
After complaining, Wilkes and another employee were contacted by
Special Agents from
the Criminal Investigative Division of the Office of Inspector
General and placed under a criminal
investigation. Wilkes filed a retaliation claim with the Office
of Special Counsel which foundWilkes’ complaints to be credible
and, in accordance with procedure, requested that the
OIGinvestigate Wilkes’ claim of the use of improper scheduling
practices by OBVAMC.
Rather than initiate an investigation into the complaints, the
Secretary of the VA, through
his Chief of Staff, Robert L. Nabors, II, responded to the
Office of Special Counsel’s request by providing a copy of the
original investigation of Wilkes performed by the Criminal
Investigative
Division.
On February 25, 2016 the Office of Special Counsel filed a
report to the President of theUnited States and Congress. The
report informed the President and Congress that the
investigation
by the office of the Secretary of the VA, did “not address
the allegations that scheduling personnelfailed to follow proper
scheduling protocol and were not properly trained on agency
scheduling
policies and practices, or that management encouraged the
manipulation of electronic schedulingsystems.” The report concluded
that the office of the Secretary of the VA did not address the
“evidence of a delay in access to care” or “the shortage of
providers.”
In the same report the Office of Special Counsel found that VA
officials and the OIG usedthe same tactics of intimidation against
Germaine Clarno, a social worker who disclosed
wrongdoing at Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital in Chicago,
Illinois. The Clarno report found, “thecontent and tenor of the
report OIG prepared demonstrate hostility toward Ms. Clarno,
apparently
for having spoken publically, as well as an attempt to minimize
her allegations.”
Despite these findings both the Office of Inspector General and
the VA refused to admitits failings. Despite having placed Wilkes
under a criminal investigation for over a year and failing
to investigate his complaints the OIG stated that it “did not
discredit the individuals who madecomplaints.”
A statement from VA management outright dismissed the over year
long investigation by
the Office of Special Counsel, claiming that the VA received
full copies of the IG reports, unlike
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the Office of Special Counsel which it claims was only provided
summaries. The full reports do“adequately address the OSC …
concerns as to patient wait times,” the VA statement
claimed.
A spokesman for OBVAMC in dismissing the Office of Special
Counsel’s report, went so
far as to claim that the OIG’s report confirmed that OBVAMC
“provides quality care to Ark-La-
Tex Veterans.”
Wilkes stated that he was not surprised by the response from the
OIG or the VA. He said,
“Throughout this whole ordeal VA and OIG leaders on all levels
have tried to discredit, defame,
and attack the messengers. They refuse to accept the truth and
they refuse to fix the problems.
They cover their ears and they hear no evil. They cover their
eyes and they see no evil. Instead its
about time they cover their mouths and listen to the truth.”
“The VA continues to play a shell game with the truth. If one
were to listen to any VA
entity over the past two years one would believe that there are
no failings within the VA system.
We know this to be false and know that the VA as a whole has
been dishonest and untrustworthy
during the entire VA scandal,” said Wilkes.Shea Wilkes is a
co-founder of VA Truth Tellers a not for profit organization
comprised
of current and former employees of the VA who provide support
and encouragement to
whistleblowers who expose wrongdoing at VA facilities.
# # #
If you would like more information about this topic or to
schedule an interview with
Shea Wilkes please call Rick John (318)219-1001 or email
[email protected] .
