Letter to Ronald Johnson, Director of Hampton VA Medical Center, John Brandecker, Director of Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, Rebecca Stackhouse, Director of Salem VA Medical Center, and Adam Johnson, Acting Director of Washington DC VA Medical Center - Quality of Nursing Home Care
Letter
Dear Mr. Johnson, Mr. Brandecker, Ms. Stackhouse & Dr. Johnson:
We are writing to express our deep concern over recent reports in the media of inadequate care provided in nursing homes overseen by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including those located in Virginia and Washington, D.C. Specifically, an investigation by USA Today and the Boston Globe revealed unacceptable conditions for patients in VA-run nursing homes across the country.
Detailed data on VA nursing homes previously undisclosed by the Department indicate that nursing homes in Hampton, Richmond, Salem, and Washington, D.C. have outcome metrics far worse than private facilities. According to the VA's tracking system, the VA facilities scored on average below private nursing homes on 9 of 11 indicators. The following data is deeply alarming as relates to the Commonwealth's facilities:
Residents reporting serious pain in the past five days
Hampton -- 25.8% (VA) vs. 5.6% (private)
Richmond -- 22.1% (VA) vs. 5.6% (private)
Salem -- 32.4% (VA) vs. 5.6% (private)
Washington, D.C. -- 25.67% (VA) vs. 5.6% (private)
Short-stay residents in serious pain in past five days
Hampton -- 25.8% (VA) vs. 13.3% (private)
Richmond -- 44.2% (VA) vs. 13.3% (private)
Salem -- 19.0% (VA) vs. 13.3% (private)
Washington, D.C. -- 37.45% (VA) vs. 13.32% (private)
Residents with serious bed sores
Hampton -- 11.5% (VA) vs. 5.6% (private)
Salem -- 17.3% (VA) vs. 5.6% (private)
Washington, D.C. -- 16.4% (VA) vs. 5.6% (private)
Residents with catheter left in the bladder
Hampton -- 12.8% (VA) vs. 1.8% (private)
Richmond -- 13.7% (VA) vs. 1.8% (private)
Salem -- 13.6% (VA) vs. 1.8% (private)
Washington, D.C. -- 11.6% (VA) vs. 1.8% (private)
Although we are disturbed that the VA did not voluntarily share this data, we are pleased that an amendment was added to the FY 2019 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, which recently passed the Senate. This legislation will ensure this information becomes public in the future. It is critical for the VA to be transparent about the quality of care provided to our nation's veterans. Stakeholders, patients, and their families deserve to have a clear understanding of potential deficiencies. We are particularly interested in understanding what steps each of your facilities are taking to address and mitigate these serious problems, as shown by the data.
Our nation's veterans deserve the best care we have to offer. We must renew our commitment to ensuring that veterans have the high quality of care that is worthy of their service and sacrifice. It is imperative that you determine a plan to alleviate these issues in the coming weeks.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your timely response.
Sincerely,
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