HAMPTON, Va. - Local congressional leaders are responding to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General's new report on the Hampton VA Medical Center.
The report details "multiple failures" at the center involving a delayed cancer diagnosis for a veteran.
It shows that the failures happened between July 2019 and April 2021 and resulted in the patient's prostate cancer diagnosis being delayed.
Officials say a number of providers at the center did not address the patient's complaints or correctly communicate test results.
U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-Va.), along with Reps. Elaine Luria (D-VA-02) and Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), released a joint statement on the findings Tuesday afternoon. It reads:
“We are appalled and disheartened to learn that a series of failures at the Hampton VA Medical Center led to a veteran’s delayed cancer diagnosis. Veterans and their families must be able to trust that they are receiving high-quality, comprehensive, and timely health care whenever they turn to the VA — and it is the VA’s responsibility to provide that level of care to its patients. The findings outlined in the Inspector General report suggest a dangerous series of care coordination and communication failings, both at the individual and systemic level. We commit to engaging directly with the senior leadership at Hampton and pursuing appropriate accountability. We are also committed to conducting close oversight as the Hampton VAMC works to implement the Inspector General’s recommendations, and put in place processes to guard against future failings as happened here.”
Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, and Reps. Elaine Luria and Bobby Scott
