Government Watchdog Says VA Fails to Report Dangerous Doctors

For years, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) has ignored complaints about dangerous doctors and hidden their violations from regulators, says a government watchdog organization. 

If you were injured by a negligent VA doctor, you have legal rights and options. Learn more about the VA’s doctor crisis and about related medical malpractice claims below. 

Virginia’s Veteran Population Is Growing

Currently, Virginia has the eighth-largest veteran population in the United States with more than 725,000 veterans, and this number is growing. According to projections, the Commonwealth will have the country’s fifth-largest veteran population by 2037. Many of these vets rely on the VA: 20% of veterans in Virginia either use VA health services or receive service-connected compensation.  

In total, there are 27 VA facilities in Virginia, including Richmond’s Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center. As one of the VA’s most important hospitals, McGuire VA Medical Center treats 60,000 veterans each year and employs thousands of doctors, nurses, and other caregivers. 

Report Says VA Medical Facilities Failed to Report Almost 90% of Dangerous Doctors 

Due to concerns about the quality of the VA’s medical care, the U.S. Governmental Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed physician discipline procedures at five unnamed VA medical facilities. In its resulting November 2017 report, the GAO found serious problems with the VA’s procedures and their implementation, including the following: 

• It sometimes took the VA years to begin an investigation into complaints about a doctor’s behavior, and some complaints weren’t investigated at all.  
• The VA did not retain records of their investigations almost half of the time.  
• Even when the VA revoked or restricted a doctor’s privileges, it failed to report the corrective action to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) 89% of the time. 
• None of the violations were reported to state licensing boards as they should have been. 

According to the GAO, ignorance of proper procedures and inadequate oversight within the VA caused these systemic issues. 

USA Today Reports Similar Findings to GAO Investigation

The GAO’s report isn’t the only evidence of serious isses with medical care at VA facilities. In October 2017, USA Today published an investigation into VA practices and reported that VA administrators regularly hid evidence that the organization’s physicians and medical providers were violating accepted standards of care. In some cases, VA administrators convinced these “problem” providers to resign from the VA by paying them thousands of dollars and promising them positive or neutral references.

The Result of the VA’s Failures: Medical Malpractice Claims Skyrocket 

The VA’s lapses have had serious consequences. Between 2011 and 2015, the number of legal settlements paid by the VA more than tripled, and most of this increase was due to a swell of medical malpractice claims.  

And the VA’s failure to report dangerous doctors has also put non-VA patients at risk. As an example, one VA physician who had committed multiple violations resigned but continued to practice medicine. The VA failed to report the violations to the NPDB or the appropriate state licensing board. Two years later, a nearby non-VA hospital revoked the physician’s credentials over the exact same types of violations. 

Even now, other physicians who have lost their VA privileges due to serious violations of acceptable standards of care continue to treat patients in their private practices and receive federal funds for participation in Medicare. 

What Should I Do if I’m Injured Due to Medical Malpractice? 

Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor or other medical professional violates accepted standards of care and harms a patient. Common types of medical malpractice include failures to diagnose a disease or condition, medical mistakes during a surgery or another medical procedure, and medication or anesthesia errors. 

If you believe you’re a victim of medical malpractice, you should follow the three steps listed below to make sure your rights are protected. 

• Act Quickly
  If you or a loved one suffered injuries because of a doctor’s or other medical provider’s negligence, it’s important to act quickly. Virginia medical malpractice laws include very strict filing deadlines. Typically, you must file your medical malpractice claim within two years of the event. If you miss this deadline, you might lose your right to compensation forever. 
• Identify What Type of Claim You Have
  The processes for filing a medical malpractice claim in Virginia differ depending on whether your claim involves a VA doctor or not.
  • If your injuries occurred at a VA facility, you will not file your claim under Virginia’s medical malpractice laws.  Instead, you must file a claim through channels established by the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA).
  • Under the FTCA, you cannot immediately file a medical malpractice lawsuit in federal court. Instead, you must first file a written claim with the VA. (You can use the VA’s Standard Form 95 to file your claim.) Then, if the VA rejects your claim, you can file a lawsuit against the doctor and medical facility. If you have questions about this process, contact a medical malpractice lawyer immediately.
  • If the potential malpractice happened at a non-VA facility in Virginia, the Commonwealth’s medical malpractice laws likely apply. Keep in mind that you might have cases against multiple parties, including the doctor, hospital, and nursing staff. 
  • Other claims are governed by both the FTCA and Virginia law. These cases are very complicated and typically require a skilled medical malpractice lawyer.
• Consult an Experienced Virginia Medical Malpractice Lawyer 
  Medical malpractice claims are extremely complicated. They require careful analysis of medical records, use of expert witnesses, and aggressive legal strategies. And healthcare providers, both at the VA and elsewhere, tend to aggressively defend themselves against malpractice claims.For these reasons, it’s in your best interest to consult an experienced medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible after a potential malpractice incident. 

Phelan Petty: Virginia Medical Malpractice Lawyers Specializing in Complex Cases 

At Phelan Petty, we focus our practice on complicated claims involving serious injuries. Because we focus on handling a small number of complex cases, we can spend more of our time and resources building the best possible cases for our clients. If we’re able to take your case, we’ll use your investigative skills and our extensive experience negotiating and litigating medical malpractice claims to fight for you and protect your rights. 

To schedule a free, no-risk consultation with one of our attorneys today, either complete our online contact form or call us at (804) 980-7100. 

References 

Howard, C.B., & Blau, R. (2016, May 30). Legal settlements at Veterans’ Affairs more than tripled since 2011, many due to medical malpractices. N.Y. Daily News. Retrieved from https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/legal-settlements-veterans-affairs-triple-article-1.2654179.  

Slack, D., & Sallah, M. (2017, October 11). VA conceals shoddy care and health workers’ mistakes. USA Today. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/10/11/va-conceals-shoddy-care-and-health-workers-mistakes/739852001/.  

U.S. Census Bureau (2015, November 11). Veteran statistics: Virginia. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration. Retrieved from https://www2.census.gov/library/visualizations/2015/comm/vets/va-vets.pdf.  

U.S. Governmental Accountability Office (2017, November). VA health care: Improved policies and oversight needed for reviewing and reporting providers for quality and safety concerns (GAO-18-63). Washington, D.C.: Government Accountability Office. Retrieved from https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/688378.pdf.  

U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (2017). Looking back + moving forward: McGuire VA Medical Center 2017 annual report. Richmond, VA: U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Retrieved from https://www.richmond.va.gov/docs/2017AnnualReport.pdf.  

U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (2016). Veteran population projections: 2017-2037. Richmond, VA: U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Retrieved from https://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/Demographics/New_Vetpop_Model/Vetpop_Infographic_Final31.pdf.  

The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.