VA launches investigation into impaired Arkansas pathologist
Source: Associated Press
Hannah Grabenstein, Associated Press
Updated 6:48 pm, Monday, June 18, 2018
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Federal officials said Monday a pathologist fired from an Arkansas veterans hospital for being "impaired on duty" misdiagnosed seven cases and that more than 30,000 additional cases are being reviewed.
The Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks in Fayetteville said one error may have led to a death. Spokeswoman Wanda Shull said the seven errors were found among 911 cases already reviewed by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Office of the Inspector General.
According to Shull, the medical center removed the pathologist from clinical care in March 2016 after a colleague reported the pathologist was impaired. The unidentified pathologist returned to work that October after completing a state licensure board-run support program, but was removed from the clinic again last fall. The pathologist was eventually fired in April.
Shull said the pathologist handled about 33,000 cases for nearly 19,800 veterans since being hired in 2005. Inspector General Michael Missal said the earliest identified misdiagnosed case is from 2013. The medical center largely serves veterans in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma but it has analyzed tissue samples for patients across the country.
Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/us/article/VA-launches-investigation-into-impaired-Arkansas-13005013.php
= new reply since forum marked as read
HOWEVER it sure seems as though we get fed a steady stream of these stories about "wrongdoing at the VA" in order to soften up everyone for privatization.
There should be stats demonstrating whether the VA has a higher incidence of this type of misconduct than e.g. private, for-profit hospitals. Otherwise it's basically just anti-VA propaganda.
