Probe: Dallas VA hospital worst in U.S.

[rainbow4321]

http://www.heraldonline.com/24hour/nation/story/2029510p-10064844c.html



A federal investigation has found dirty, unsafe conditions at the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center - including grime on the walls and under-refrigerated medication - and ranked the institution as the nation's worst.

An inspector general's report for the Department of Veterans Affairs found that most patients' rooms and bathrooms were unclean, the floors and walls "had buildups of grime," and some stretchers displayed "dried residue suggestive of body fluids." Investigators said they also found no evidence of a plan for better management at the North Texas Health Care System's flagship.

"We got the message," Dr. Robert Cronin, the system's chief of staff, told The Dallas Morning News for Tuesday's editions. "We're working hard to correct those things. ... We've added a number of people to help us get the job done."


http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/012505dnmetbadcare.3d395.html

Medical students at the Dallas veterans hospital, which was recently ranked the worst in the nation, say its patients have been neglected, abused and sometimes left alone to die by incompetent and uncaring nurses.

Most of the comments came from University of Texas Southwestern Medical School students and residents who trained last year at the Dallas VA hospital. They described observing firsthand a hospital in which some nurses and support staff members show little interest in caring for patients, even those in critical need of attention.

The Dallas Morning News reported last week that the Veterans Affairs inspector general ranked the Dallas hospital as the worst veterans medical center in the country.

"Many times I have had patients urgently sick and 'crumping' , and nurses will not care and say, 'I'm busy, do it yourself' when you ask them for help," one student wrote. "Overall, the nursing staff and ancillary staff are pitifully poor and extremely below the quality of a regular hospital. PLEASE CLEAN THIS PLACE UP!!!" Another student told of critically ill veterans abandoned until dead.

[Erika]

1. In a way I don't even know how to post to this

I know there are many dems out there fighting for democratic ideals in Texas but yet I've never seen a more backward and punitive state in the nation. I will never forget W's smirks about Carla pleading for her life.

Texans have no problem in building W a stadium but can't justify keeping a VA hospital open. Strange culture, indeed.

[rainbow4321]

2. Even more reason for JCAHO visits to be UNannounced

They are the people that visit hospitals and rate them...decide if they get to keep their accreditation. BUT, these visits are all announced well before the actual day that JCAHO (Joint Commission)--pronounced "JAKE O" for short--- shows up so the facility gets to put on a dog and pony show and wah-lah...the hospital "passes". Luckily, I work the night shift so I get to miss this charade. There have been rumors that JCAHO would be starting to do unannounced visits but I have yet to see that happen.

I did a google and it looks like VA hospitals go thru JCAHCO, also. No doubt, if these allegations are true, the Dallas hospital cleans up it's act for a 48 hr period/JCAHO visit, and then everyone goes back to turning a blind eye to everything once again.

Whoever saw all of this stuff happen needs to also contact the TX Board of Nursing..any guilty nurses could easily lose their licenses.

[wolfgirl]

3. For many years now...

VA hospitals have been underfunded. It's been a goal of the neocons to outsource all Veteran care and close these hospitals...good, bad or otherwise.

I've worked in the VA system for a very long time and in many,many facilities. At the core are dedicated, caring staff that sacrifice much to care for our veterans. We look at each patient knowing they represent our fathers, brothers & sons (moms, sisters & daughters). But burnout it fast taking over and the staff are being replaced with individuals who don't remember the way it used to be, are not given adequate tools (staff, equipment, training, etc.) to cope.

If the neocons continue, the VA system will be killed and HMOs will take over....

[movie_girl99]

4. that hospital is crap

and has been for quite sometime. Sadly, this is nothing new. I have family members who have been dealing with it for years. Its sickening..it really is.

[rainbow4321]

5. Special team to assess Dallas VA hospital D.C. sending experts this week

http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=652&topicId=23300&docId=l:254058475&start=1


January 27, 2005 Thursday

Facility replaces nursing chief

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington will send a special team this week to investigate problems in patient care at the troubled Dallas veterans hospital. The team will include "medical experts whose purpose is to address concerns raised," the VA said Wednesday in a written statement.

Also Wednesday, officials at the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center said they had replaced the chief of nursing. However, they left open the possibility that she could regain her job.

Allen Clark, public affairs officer for the Dallas hospital, said Wednesday afternoon that Ms. Huff had been replaced, at least temporarily. Pamala Thompson was named acting chief of nurses for a period not to exceed two weeks, Mr. Clark said.

Asked whether Ms. Huff could resume her chief's job after two weeks, Mr. Clark said only, "We'll have to wait and see." He declined to provide further details. Ms. Huff did not respond to a request for comment. The former director of the North Texas Health Care System, which oversees the Dallas hospital, announced his retirement in December