Reports by the CNN Investigations unit about the process of providing care to veterans might have contributed to the administrative leaves of the director of the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care system and two others. CNN earlier reported that the facility has concocted an elaborate scheme to cover up long wait times, with claims that there is an existence of a secret waiting list.
The announcement of the status of the facility executives came after one day Phoenix VA officials had denied the existence of such list in interviews with the news outlet. Hours after the interviews, the top physician of the VA has called them liars. Dr Sam Foote, who has been with the VA for 24 years and is a clinic doctor, was the facility's whistleblower when he decided to come out in public about the list following his retirement.
Telling CNN, Foote said, "They started this secret list in February of 2013. At some time, they changed over from paper to electronic, in early summer, maybe approximately June or July. And transferred names over to the electronic waiting list. And she [Phoenix VA director Sharon Helman] was called on an ethics consult evaluation about that -- it's written down, documented in July."
Helman, Associate Director Lance Robinson and an unidentified third employee were the three Phoenix VA personnel who were placed on administrative leave. Helman, along with her chief of staff Dr Darren Deering, were the ones CNN interviewed and had denied the existence of the waiting list.
US Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, who made the announcement about the administrative leaves of the Phoenix VA officials, said in a written statement on Thursday, "We believe it is important to allow an independent, objective review to proceed... These allegations, if true, are absolutely unacceptable and if the Inspector General's investigation substantiates these claims, swift and appropriate action will be taken."
Sources told CNN that over 1,400 veterans were placed on the alleged list, and VA had resorted to shredding documents to cover it up. Also, at least 40 US veterans had died waiting for care as a result to the scheme.
