A U.S. senator wants a review of the giant Washington DC VA Medical Center following a News4 report revealing the Department of Veterans Affairs has concerns about the facility.
The VA labeled the medical center one of a handful of its medical centers nationwide considered high risk and low performing, citing a recent spike in the rate of infections for patients from IVs and wait times for some mental health patients.
Those revelations came months after News4 reported concerns about supply shortages, needed fixes in surgery rooms, and the failure of the agency to find a patient's body for nearly two days in a car in the medical center parking lot.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) formally requested Wednesday the agency report what repairs have been made and how many delayed and backlogged appointments have occurred in the past three years.
He cited News4’s report in his letter and said many of Maryland's 380,000 veterans use the medical center.
“It's really important we continue to have oversight,” Van Hollen said. “That's why when there's a finding made that people are not getting the care they deserve, Congress needs to act."
The acting director of the medical center said the problems detailed by News4 and internal agency investigators are being addressed and occurred under prior management.
