Officials at troubled VA hospitals received big bonuses
By Elaine Quijano
“In January, a CBS News investigation found that a veterans’ hospital in Pittsburgh knew for more than a year that it had an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, but kept it secret until five patients died and 21 others became ill.”
VA’s inspector general found the Pittsburgh VA failed to prevent the outbreak, yet Regional Director Michael Moreland received a $62,895 service award.
“According to the Inspector General:
1. The Buffalo VA exposed over 700 patients to hepatitis over a two-year period — by reusing insulin pens. CBS News has learned that during that time, Upstate New York Regional director David West was awarded nearly $26,000 in bonuses.
2. Failure to monitor mental health patients at the Atlanta VA led to three deaths. CBS News found its former director James Clark received over $31,000 in bonuses the years two of those patients died.
3. Records show hospital director Terry Gerigk Wolf got a $13,000 bonus the year the Pittsburgh VA failed to prevent, then mismanaged the Legionnaires’ outbreak.”
This makes a lot of sense while widow set and wait for notification they are giving awards to Directors what about the widows who are waiting to hear on a claim there husband file in 1996 and was denied and then find out that the disease has been added and know one bother to inform them
Comment by Theresa Coplen — August 29, 2013 @ 3:28 am