BUFFALO, N.Y. — We are learning more about very serious issues for the Veterans Administration including a misconduct investigation here in Buffalo.
Additional information came from a recent Congressional hearing and that includes the condition of the current Buffalo VA Medical Center infrastructure.
As we first reported last month the VA transferred out Western New York Veterans Healthcare System Director Michael Schwartz and his chief of staff with various misconduct allegations and claims of delayed outside-the-system cancer referrals for veteran patients.
Ironically in August 2023, the local VA system was given a five-star patient care rating by the government's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, one of the top in the country, with VA Undersecretary for Health Dr. Shereef Elnahal here for the honors announcement.
Now a turnabout a year later. Undersecretary Elenall says he will soon be back to visit the now-in-turmoil Buffalo VA Center.
He told Congressman Tim Kennedy of Buffalo two days ago "My personal attentions are making sure that things improve and improve fast at the Buffalo VA. That's what the veterans in your district and around the Buffalo area deserve."
But there may be a nationwide pattern of problems according to the Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee of which Kennedy is a new member.
Congressman Michael Bost of Ohio stated "When VA leaders and management are inept, commit misconduct, or create hostile work environments, they are never held accountable. Instead, such leaders are left in place and collect a healthy paycheck until Congress, the inspector general, or the press find out."
VA Inspector General Michael Missal said the agency does carefully investigate and handle allegations of misconduct by VA managers.
He said the investigation regarding the Buffalo VA has wrapped up and is being reviewed by the VA. He expects it then be published with briefings for Kennedy and Congressman Nick Langworthy.
Langworthy's office raised concerns about the care of veterans with cancer to the committee.
Another Congressman who is also a doctor criticized the VA's health records system called Cerner.
Representative Gregory Murphy of North Carolina told VA officials at the hearing "You guys need to stop Cerner tomorrow. It is not a system that is meant for the VA - a medical system the size of this... this is a mistake that for ten years, money has been poured into, poured into and you literally have less than four percent of the whole system on Cerner now."
It must also be pointed the VA admitted to Congress in July it has a $15 Billion operating deficit.
There is talk of a supplemental funding measure for the government agency but apparently, it is not yet in the temporary continuing resolution bill which Congress must yet pass for appropriations to avoid a government shutdown in November.
In addition, plans two years ago to build a new $1 Billion VA Buffalo hospital to replace the current 1950-built facility were shelved earlier this year.
Congressman Kennedy stated during the hearing "The building itself is falling apart in many ways while we're putting band-aids on it. Thank God for the staff that is working there that's taking care of our veterans but they need resources. But they need resources there. We ultimately need a new hospital - a new VA hospital in Buffalo."
Undersecretary Elnahal responded "I look forward to visiting the Buffalo VA with you in the coming weeks to witness myself what the condition of the infrastructure is. But the fact that the average medical center is - age of the plant is over 60 years. I haven't seen any other health system with infrastructure that old. So we need to invest in it. I've already contacted our construction and facilities management team."