VA whistleblowers to detail retribution

[Valin]

Politico:

LAUREN FRENCH

7/8/14

 

House lawmakers will hear testimony on Tuesday from whistleblowers who accuse the Department of Veterans Affairs of retaliating against them for exposing shoddy medical care.

 

The VA would often force whistleblowers into administrative leave after they raised concerns about lagging health care quality stemming from overworked nurses or understaffed medical centers, according to testimony from four witnesses set to testify before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

 

The retaliation was pervasive and often carried out in a personal manner, the witnesses will testify. Katherine Mitchell, a 16-year VA employee who worked at facilities in Phoenix, said nurses there refused to care for her patients after she began complaining about issues within the medical center.

 

(Snip)