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Top VA Official Testifies Regarding Local Veterans’ Deaths

August 7th, 2013

A top official with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs testified in Atlanta Wednesday during a Senate field hearing led by Georgia U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson. The hearing was held in response to two suicides and another patient who died of a drug overdose at the Atlanta VA Medical Center. The three deaths were linked to mismanagement in the Center’s mental health programs in two reports issued by the Inspector General.

During the hearing, Department of Veterans Affairs Undersecretary for Health, Dr. Robert Petzel, said the department agrees with the Inspector General’s findings and takes all veteran deaths seriously, especially suicide.

“Even one veteran suicide is a national tragedy.”

And he says since the inspector generals’ reports the department has taken aggressive actions.

Senator Isakson asked him to provide further detail about those actions.

“How did you hold those responsible for what’s been recognized as negligence and mismanagement accountable for their actions?”

Petzel said he could not publicly detail information he provided about the department’s action against center employees. But he said he provided that to a Senate Committee. However, Petzel did say two center employees have retired…three others have been reprimanded and potential action against a number of others is still pending. He also says 66 additional employees have been hired to work at the center and the programs it contracts with, wait times for veterans have improved and a number of new processes have been put in place.

Vondell Brown, a veteran himself and Alumni Manager with the Wounded Warrior Project said the Atlanta center has improved. However, he says gaps in care still exist.

“What I often hear from warriors is difficulty getting appointments when they need them, being handed from one mental health provider to another, difficulty in developing rapport with providers and of being offered medication to ease symptoms rather than getting talk therapy that might help to resolve deeper problems.

After the hearing was over, Senator Isakson says so far he’s satisfied with the VA’s response, but he says the situation is not finished yet and there are no second chances. Isakson says further hearings will be held on the matter.