Report: VA Hospitals' Medical Errors Caused Over 500 Deaths Since 2010

More than 500 patient deaths were caused between 2010 and 2014 by medical mistakes at Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities, according to a recent report from the Washington Free Beacon. The information calls attention to medical errors affecting veterans amid the controversy and scandal over patient backlogs at VA facilities across the country.

After collecting VA data through the Freedom of Information Act for 2011, 2012, and 2013, the Free Beacon reported that 1,452 “institutional disclosures of adverse events” at VA facilities took place during that time period, resulting in 526 deaths.

The Veterans Health Administration requires disclosure when an adverse event “has occurred during the patient’s care that resulted in or is reasonably expected to result in death or serious injury,” the newspaper reported. The VA defines an “adverse event” as “untoward incidents, diagnostic or therapeutic misadventures, iatrogenic injuries, or other occurrences of harm or potential harm directly associated with care or services provided.”

The adverse event disclosures include serious errors such as feeding tubes being placed in patients’ lungs, surgical equipment left in patients’ bodies, incorrect dosages, and undiagnosed fractures.

The newspaper’s examination of the data also revealed delays in diagnosis and treatment of cancer in the nation’s veterans, finding that 74 cancer patients had delays in treatment or had initial findings overlooked. Twelve of those veterans died from their illness.

The Free Beacon report chronicles a number of instances of delays in cancer diagnosis for veterans, including instances in which patients were not informed of abnormal X-rays, delaying the diagnosis and follow-up care for lung cancer for veterans who ultimately died of the disease.

According to the newspaper’s report:

• At the Williams Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Medical Center in Columbia, S.C., the cancer care of at least eight veterans was delayed enough that the survival rate and ability to provide later sufficient treatment may have been affected. In 2012, this center reported more delays in cancer care than any other facility.
• In fiscal year 2013, the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center in Gainesville, Fla., had 31 “adverse events,” the most of any VA facility, with delays in cancer diagnosis and treatment accounting for three of those incidents. The VA also confirmed the death of two patients at North Florida/South Georgia system, where the Gainesville hospital is located, due to delayed cancer screenings.
• At the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, Ga., three cancer patients died as a result of delayed screenings over the past two years. The center reported 14 adverse events during fiscal year 2013.

The Free Beacon report also indicates a number of errors in treating patients at risk for suicide. The data collected by the newspaper details how staffers at a VA facility did not follow up on family members’ concerns regarding a veteran’s depressive behavior. The veteran “attempted suicide by stabbing with a knife to his neck requiring emergency surgical repair,” according to the report.

In other cases, the data revealed patients attempted suicide after medical professionals did not perform a suicide risk assessment after documenting a patient’s suicidal thoughts or failed to listen to patient complaints about psychiatric medications not working.

At Morrow Kidman Tinker Macey-Cushman, PLLC, we have recovered for military veterans and their families in cases concerning delayed and mismanaged care by VA providers. We are experienced in navigating the system for bringing claims against the VA, and will work to bring justice for our clients. If you are concerned about delays or errors in your VA care, do not hesitate to call or contact us using our online form.