Veterans Affairs leaders removed two senior officials from their posts at a New York hospital late last week after a damning inspector general report accused them of delaying radiation therapy and neurosurgery appointments, which resulted in excess pain and injury to multiple patients.
Republican lawmakers decried the findings as abhorrent and evidence that department planners are still improperly preventing veterans from getting quick medical care outside of the VA healthcare system.
But senior VA leaders said they are committed to providing patients with the best care possible , and promised a full review of the incidents to correct the mistakes and potentially punish the administrators involved.
The report, released Friday afternoon, focused on veterans receiving care through the VA Western New York Healthcare System over the last two years.
Investigators found that local leaders “failed to resolve significant community care scheduling delays for patients with serious health conditions, despite providers’ and community care staff’s efforts to advocate on the behalf of patients.”