HAMPTON, Va. - — A new report is examining the number of employees in the Dept. of Veterans Affairs who are coming forward as whistleblowers and then reporting retaliation.
The author of the report from the Government Accountability Office told lawmakers during a congressional hearing Thursday that over the last three years there have been about 1,300 complaints a year.
The report says whistleblowers are essential in helping to uncover allegations of wrongdoing, but they may face retaliation like demotion or losing their jobs.
"It's imperative that [employees] feel comfortable doing their jobs without fear of reprisal," said Emilee Collier from the Office of Special Counsel, which is one of the two government entities that investigate the cases.
The VA is a large agency with about 400,000 employees nationwide.
"In addition to recruiting and retaining great employees, we also need to be able to let go of employees who are not great employees, so that's what this whistleblower protection does," said Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Virginia), who's chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations in the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Kiggans said part of the purpose of the hearing Thursday was to review whether there's overlap among the two entities that investigate cases.
"We want to provide greater transparency that our whistleblowers are being heard, that they are being protected," she said. "We want to do it, so we're getting the best bang for our buck."
The VA continues to face scrutiny from local lawmakers.
A recent report about the Hampton VA Medical Center found communication and logistical failures delayed a veteran for getting care for lung cancer.
Another report from last year found multiple failures delayed a patient from being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
With more than 1,000 cases a year of retaliation being investigated within the VA, Kiggans says this oversight is important.
"I think when it comes to talking about veteran healthcare, people take that issue very seriously," said Kiggans. "I think that's why you see people coming forward who are opening their mouths."
