VA Augusta Health Care System leaders fostered a “culture of fear” with a “threatening and abusive communication style” and allegedly retaliated against employees who shared concerns, according to an Office of Inspector General draft report viewed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The report also cites staffing shortages, medical supply problems that affected the Augusta system’s “ability to provide safe patient care” and “inconsistent and low compliance rates for communication of test results to patients.”
The preliminary findings, which are based on a Sept. 24-26 routine inspection of the Augusta system and a survey of its employees, appear to illuminate why the Veterans Affairs Department changed top leaders there last month…