The Veteran Affairs Department’s review of the wait times scandal at its Phoenix facility is over, but lawmakers and investigators are promising that department officials will still face intense scrutiny and criticism in coming months.
The VA Inspector General’s office still has investigations open at 93 other department facilities, officials told senators Tuesday. Almost half show the same types of mismanagement and manipulation with wait time records that sparked the Phoenix investigation, which in turn forced massive department leadership and policy changes in recent months.
Richard Griffin, acting VA Inspector General, said the findings point to the need for more cultural changes at the department and possibly more firings of employees.
“What happened [at VA] was a failure of leadership,” he said. “Excellent policies were sent out … but you have to follow through.”
Last month, Griffin’s office released its four-month review of allegations of medical care delays and wait time cover-ups at the Phoenix VA Health Care system. The review found no evidence that problems led to patient deaths, but found ample evidence of incompetence and corruption at the Arizona facilities.
Since then, more than 100 cases related to malfeasance at VA facilities have been opened by the VA IG, the Office of Special Counsel, and the FBI. Results from all those investigations are expected to be made public in coming months.
Three senior Phoenix VA leaders are facing disciplinary action for their role in problems there, and department officials have promised more personnel actions as the other investigations finish.
In testimony Tuesday and recent public appearances, new VA Secretary Bob McDonald lamented that the department’s past good intentions haven’t filtered down to frontline employees.
In recent weeks, he has ordered town halls for every VA facility nationwide, new training and instructions for VA workers, and a new accountability team to look at discipline and dismissal of problematic employees.
“Changing culture is probably one of most difficult leadership challenges,” he said. “We need to open up the culture … we’ve got to get every employee involved.”
Senators praised those goals, but also emphasized they aren’t enough to satisfy their concerns that the department has fixed its systemic problems.
“The work of this committee has just begun,” said Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., ranking Republican on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “We need to stamp out the corrosive culture at VA and make sure it doesn’t resurface.”
Several lawmakers said they expect to see more punishment — and firings — in coming weeks, to prove the department is pressing to hold problem employees accountable. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said the internal reviews are encouraging, but added that “criminal investigations” would be a better deterrent against future mismanagement.
In July, Congress passed a package of VA reforms including measures to ease the firing process for senior department officials and funding to expand private care options for veterans facing lengthy wait times.
