VA watchdog to tell Senate committee unexpected deaths 'could be avoided'

The chief watchdog for the VA will testify Thursday that it must immediately focus on delivering quality health care to avoid unexpected deaths, as VA Secretary Eric Shinseki prepared to testify he would take “timely action” if warranted. 
In prepared remarks obtained by Fox News from a congressional source, VA’s acting Inspector General Richard J. Griffin will say, “The unexpected deaths that the OIG continues to report on at VA facilities could be avoided if VA would focus first on its core mission to deliver quality health care.”
For his part, Shinseki will tell the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs he will take “timely action” if allegations of patient deaths due to long wait times at a Phoenix VA medical center are proven true.
The hearing before the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs Thursday is being held discuss the state of health care coverage at the VA.
According to the prepared remarks, Shinseki will note he has already placed three employees at the Phoenix VA center on leave over the allegations that as many as 40 veterans may have died because of delayed treatment at that hospital. He will state he ordered an inspector general investigation into the matter and a nationwide review into scheduling policy.
Shinseki will say that the allegations are unacceptable, and if proven true by the investigation the agency will take “responsible and timely action” to remedy the situation.
“I am personally angered and saddened by any adverse consequence that a veteran might experience while in, or as a result of, our care,” the remarks say.
Griffin will follow Shinseki’s testimony with an assertion that there are flaws in the organizational structure of the VA that need to be fixed. In his prepared remarks, Griffin cites seven recent reports that demonstrate problems hindering the VA’s ability to provide quality health care coverage.
Examples cited include a September 2013 report on a VA hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, which found thousands of patients had their consults for colon cancer screenings delayed. He says it found over 50 patients had delayed diagnosis of colon cancer, and some later died. Another report from October 2013 discusses a facility in Memphis Tennessee, where three patients died due to improper emergency room care.
Griffin will say a review of these and other examples concluded that the VA needs to improve its system for implementing standards nationwide, saying the VA has become a network of hospitals that differ greatly from each other while attempting to accomplish the same goal.
“It is difficult to implement national directives when there are no standard position descriptions or areas of responsibility across the system,” Griffin will say.
Griffin will say that it is time for the VA to conduct a review of its systems to determine if there are changes that can be made to improve.
In discussing the current state of VA health care, Shinseki will cite numerous examples of ways he says the VA has improved care over the past five years, including improving and expanding care access, working to end veteran homelessness and improving access to mental health services.
He will say the VA is actively working to improve patient wait times through a number of ongoing and future actions.
“There is always more work to do, and VA is focused on continuous improvement to the care we provide to our nation’s veterans,” the remarks say.
The hearing is the first time Shinseki will appear before Congress after a series of scandals rocked the agency. In addition to Phoenix, VA employees in Wyoming and North Carolina have been suspended over allegations of misconduct.
The White House has stood behind Shinseki amid calls for him to resign. President Obama announced Wednesday he is assigning his close adviser Rob Nabors to the VA to work on a review focused on policies for patient safety rules and the scheduling of patient appointments.