FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Murray Press Office
Thursday, May 15, 2014 (202) 224-2834
[VIDEO/AUDIO] Murray to Secretary Shinseki: "This Needs to be a Wake-Up Call for the Department"
During Senate hearing, Murray tells Secretary Shinseki “the
standard practice at VA seems to be to hide the truth in order to look
good.”
Murray: “We have come to the point where we need more than good intentions.”
(Washington, D.C.) – Today U.S.
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Committee on
Veterans’ Affairs, attended a hearing to examine the state of VA health
care with Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. At
the hearing, Murray questioned Secretary Shinseki on recent allegations
that patients died while waiting for treatment at VA hospitals, and
asked him what immediate changes will be made to finally restore
long-overdue accountability, transparency, and confidence in the VA
system.
Murray: Secretary Shinseki, Deputy Under Secretary for Health Bill Schoenhard told me at a hearing in 2012
that gaming is so prevalent, as soon as new directives are put out,
they are torn apart to find out how to get around the requirements.
Testimony from a VA mental health employee said the exact same thing. At
the same hearing Linda Halliday from the IG’s office told us, ‘If
we have seen scheduling practices that resulted in gaming the system to
make performance metrics look better at the end of the day, over the
past seven years, they need a culture change. To get that culture
change, I think they really need to hold the facility directors
accountable for how well the data is actually being captured.’ That was more than two years ago. The
standard practice at the VA seems to be to hide the truth in order to
look good. That has got to change once and for all. And I want to know
how you’re going to get your medical directors and your network leaders
to tell you – whether it’s through this survey or in the future -- when
they have a problem and will work with you to address it – rather than
pursuing these secret lists and playing games with these wait times?
Shinseki:
Senator, if there’s anything that gets me angrier than just hearing
allegations, is to hear you tell me that we have folks that can’t be
truthful because they think the system doesn’t allow it. (See Secretary Shinseki’s full response here.)
Excerpts from Senator Murray’s opening remarks:
“…while
the Department generally offers very high quality health care and does
many things as well as, or better than, the private sector—I am very
frustrated to be here, once again, talking about some deeply disturbing
issues and allegations. It’s extremely disappointing that the Department
has repeatedly failed to address wait times for health care.”
“Clearly this problem has gone on for
far too long. It is unfortunate that these leadership failures have
dramatically shaken many veterans’ confidence in the system. Secretary
Shinseki, I continue to believe that you take this seriously and want to
do the right thing. But we have come to the point where we need more
than good intentions. What we need from you now is decisive action to:
restore veterans’ confidence in VA, create a culture of transparency and
accountability, and to change these system-wide, years long problems.”
“This needs to be the wakeup call for
the Department. The lack of transparency and the lack of accountability
is inexcusable and cannot be allowed to continue. The practices of
intimidation and of cover-ups must change – starting today.”
Senator Murray’s full opening remarks:
“I am very glad the Chairman has
called this hearing. Like most Americans, I believe that when it comes
to caring for our nation’s heroes, we cannot accept anything less than
excellence. The government made a promise to the men and women who
answered the call of duty—and one of the most important ways we uphold
that is by making sure our veterans can access the health care they need
and deserve. So while the Department generally offers very high
quality health care and does many things as well as, or better than, the
private sector—I am very frustrated to be here, once again, talking
about some deeply disturbing issues and allegations. It’s extremely
disappointing that the Department has repeatedly failed to address wait
times for health care. So I was encouraged when you announced a
nation-wide review of access to care. And I am very pleased that the
President is sending one of his key advisors, Rob Nabors, to assist in
overseeing and evaluating that review. His perspective, from outside
the Department, will make this review more credible and more effective.
But announcing this review is just the first step. These recent
allegations are not new issues – they are deep, system-wide problems.
And they grow more concerning every day.
“When the Inspector General’s report
is issued – and when the access review’s report is given – I expect the
Department to take them very seriously and to take all appropriate steps
to implement their recommendations. But there are also cases where the
facts are in right now. There are problems we know exist. And there is
no reason for the Department to wait until the Phoenix report comes back
before acting on the larger problem. The GAO reported on VA’s failures
with wait times at least as far back as the year 2000. Last Congress we
did a great deal of work around wait times, particularly for mental
health care. The Inspector General looked at these problems in 2005,
2007, and again in 2012. Each time they found schedulers around the
country were not following VA policy. They also found in 2012 that VA
has no reliable or accurate way of knowing if they are providing timely
access to mental health care. But now the IG recommendations are still
open. And the Department still has not implemented legislation I
authored to improve the situation. Clearly this problem has gone on for
far too long. It is unfortunate that these leadership failures have
dramatically shaken many veterans’ confidence in the system. Secretary
Shinseki, I continue to believe that you take this seriously and want to
do the right thing. But we have come to the point where we need more
than good intentions. What we need from you now is decisive action to:
restore veterans’ confidence in VA, create a culture of transparency
and accountability, and to change these system-wide, years long
problems.
“This
needs to be the wakeup call for the Department. The lack of
transparency and the lack of accountability is inexcusable and cannot be
allowed to continue. The practices of intimidation and of cover-ups
must change – starting today. Giving bonuses to hospital directors for
running a system that places priority on gaming the system and keeping
their numbers down, rather than provide care to veterans -- must come to
an end. But, Mr. Secretary it can’t end with just dealing with a few
bad actors or putting a handful of your employees on leave. It has to
go much further and lead to system-wide change. You must lead the
Department to a place where we prioritize the care of our veterans above
everything else. The culture at VA must allow people to admit where
there are problems and ask for help from hospital leadership, VISN
leadership, or from you. This is the time for the Department to make
real, major changes. Because business as usual is unacceptable.”
###
---
Meghan Roh
Press Secretary | New Media Director
Office of U.S. Senator Patty Murray
Mobile: (202) 365-1235
Office: (202) 224-2834
