Senator Tammy Baldwin's office issued the following:
***MEDIA RELEASE***
For Immediate Release
Friday, August 07, 2015
Contact:
press@baldwin.senate.gov
(202) 224-6225
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Statement in response to VA Inspector General Report
on the Death of Marine Corps Veteran Jason Simcakoski at the Tomah VA Medical Center
“Those responsible for this tragic failure should never again serve our veterans and their families.”
WASHINGTON,
D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin released the following statement
after the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General
Office released a healthcare
inspections report regarding the death of Marine Corps veteran Jason
Simcakoski at the Tomah VA Medical Center on August 30, 2014:
“This
report confirms that the Tomah VA physicians entrusted with Jason's
care failed to keep their promise to a Wisconsin Marine and his family.
I have all the evidence
I need to conclude that the VA prescribed Jason a deadly mix of drugs
that led to his death and that those responsible for this tragic failure
should never again serve our veterans and their families. The sacred
trust we have with those who faithfully serve
our country has been broken and it needs to be fixed.
“I
have introduced bipartisan legislation in Jason’s name that has earned
the support of his family and a number of veteran service organizations
to provide the VA
with the tools it needs to help prevent this type of tragedy from
occurring to other veterans and their families. This report highlights
the need for the reforms we have proposed to give veterans and their
families a stronger voice in their care and put in
place stronger oversight and accountability for the quality of care we
are providing our veterans. Change is possible and I will continue my
fight for it.”
Learn more about Senator Baldwin’s bipartisan legislation,
the Jason Simcakoski Memorial Opioid Safety Act
here.
View an online version of this release
here.
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