The Virginian-Pilot
©
HAMPTON
UPDATE Since this story was published, The Virginian-Pilot has learned the identity of the veteran whose treatment at the Hampton VA Medical Center triggered a federal investigation.
He was Wesley Hill, 59, of Hampton, a former Marine who did two tours of duty in Vietnam. According to his stepson, Stephen Wise, his lung cancer was related to exposure to Agent Orange, the herbicide used by U.S. forces to defoliate forests in Vietnam.
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The Hampton VA Medical Center inappropriately discharged a terminally ill veteran from its emergency room and failed to provide him hospice care requested by his wife, a federal investigation has found.
Investigators from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Office of Inspector General found that staff members at the Hampton center were unaware of a VA policy requiring that end-of-life care be provided when veterans and their families ask for it.
The investigators' report, issued Wednesday, came in response to a confidential complaint about the treatment of the veteran, a man in his 50s, who came to the center in August ill with lung cancer that had spread to the brain.
Over three successive visits to the emergency room, the man's condition steadily deteriorated. By the third visit, he was weak, confused, incontinent and required help from VA staff to get out of his car.
His wife told the staff she was having difficulty managing him and could no longer care for him at home.
Nevertheless, the emergency room doctor discharged him, saying he did not meet the hospital's criteria for acute-care admission. When his wife asked about hospice care - which focuses on allowing patients to die with dignity, pain-free - she was told no hospice beds were available.
She took him home but, even with the help of a family member, was unable to get him out of the car. She called 911 and paramedics took him to a local private hospital, where he was admitted.
His doctor there contacted the VA and requested hospice care. The veteran was scheduled for admission to the VA's hospice unit five days later.
Two days before the scheduled transfer date, he died.
The investigators found that the VA emergency room doctor did not do a complete evaluation of the veteran before discharging him, failing to document the significant decline in his condition the past three weeks. They also found that the VA staff missed numerous opportunities to initiate hospice care.
The investigators were unable to substantiate allegations that the veteran and his wife were treated rudely by the staff or that four hospice beds were available on the day of the veteran's last visit to the emergency room.
In response to the investigation, the Hampton center has provided training for its entire clinical staff in the VA's end-of-life care policies.
"The Hampton VA Medical Center takes great pride in its state-of-the-art palliative care facility and dedicated staff," said Jennifer Askey, a spokeswoman. The facility's emphasis is on "honoring patient and family choice," she said.
Bill Sizemore, (757) 446-2276, bill.sizemore@pilotonline.com
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The real issue here
Despite the one-sided reporting presented here, the real story is that there were no open beds in the hospice unit. Despite the alleged "shoddy care" vets received, the real fact is that the unit is full all the time, and has to take terminal patients in private hospitals as priority over anyone coming into the ED. The unit is full all the time, and there is a long waiting list. Vets get end of life care that they can't get anywhere else.
The article makes it look as if the vet was arbitraily turned away, but if there isn't a bed, where are they supposed to put him? Tie up an acute care bed that could go to some sick vet that has a chance of living?
This is another example of inflammatory one-sided reporting the VP is famous for.
The Director of that
The Director of that Hospital I bet. The truth of the matter is they ejected a man that was not in stable condition, and did not provide adequate care. If there was no space in hospice you put him in a hospital bed, if there are no hospital beds you put him in a private hospital. I was there and that is the truth, don't comment on things you don't know.
Something similar happened
Something similar happened to my father Eldridge Crocker. He was in the Navy and a Vietnam Veteran, when he came back home he was not the same person and the VA did nothing to help him mentally or health wise for years he had many problems and they did nothing but try to drug him. When my father died the VA had him on 38 different medicines within a 3 month period. He died at 62 years of age and the Va sent me a bill.
Just one more example
Our Federal Gov't does NOT belong in health care!...Yes, I know there are exceptions, but MOST gov't employees simply don't care, and this unfortunate situation is just one more example of that!
OUTRAGED, TOO LATE!!!
Regretably, the VA Health Care System can never make this right to the deceased veteran or his family. As a Vietnam Veteran, this veteran's cancer was presumptive service connected due to Agent Orange. The VA owes this family a sincere apology. If the VA IG cannot ascertain if beds were available, they need to be fired as there are specific records to identify this...sounds like a cover-up to me. This is another case of an entitled veteran being let down by the VA Health Care System. The VA ER Physcian should be terminated immediately before he does more harm and his liscense to practive medicine should be revoked!
OUTRAGED, TOO LATE!!!
Regretably, the VA Health Care System can never make this right to the deceased veteran or his family. As a Vietnam Veteran, this veteran's cancer was presumptive service connected due to Agent Orange. The VA owes this family a sincere apology. If the VA IG cannot ascertain if beds were available, they need to be fired as there are specific records to identify this...sounds like a cover-up to me. This is another case of an entitled veteran being let down by the VA Health Care System. The VA ER Physcian should be terminated immediately before he does more harm and his liscense to practive medicine should be revoked!
Cancer Patient Ejected
In 2002 the VA Medical Center discovered a Melanoma tumor in my eye which I received treatment through the VAMC in Hampton. I went to stage 4 after metastasis of my cancer throughout my lymph system, organs, lungs and brain. I was given the best medical care I believe a person can receive through the VMAC. I was sent to Duke Medical through the VMAC and received the prognosis there was nothing they could do and sent home to die.
I had a miraculous cure from God. I have had ongoing care from the VMAC since 2002. I consider the VMAC staff to be the most caring and compassionate in the medical field. They don't work for the money; they work for the patient first. I am a Vietnam Veteran, served during Vietnam and I am thankful for VMAC
David K. Sumrell
How did you get treatment from the Hampton VAMC if you are not a Vet. What branch did you serve in?
What a disgrace!
Our Vietnam Vets were treated like DIRT when they returned, by nuts like Hanoi Jane and others!
How sad, that this man was treated like dirt a second time!
Not surprised by how the V.A. Emergency room treated him
After avoiding the Veterans Hospital for ten years I finally had an opportunity to use their emergency room. The doctor that was there who saw me was very rude, a contract doctor (which I found out later) and basically called me a liar for even coming in there. This after I was told by the people at the front counter to use the emergency room since I would have to wait forever to get a primary care physician and I needed to see one then. Then a friend of mine was at the hospital and he was treated so great that day and when he asked what was going on, one of the people told him that Senator Webb was there making a tour. The primary care physician I have is a real butt head and she really sucks. I have tried to change but no can do.