Illinois Veteran Thomas Fuller Had Inadequate – and Fatal – Care at Hines; Mismanagement of VA Construction in Denver Shouldn’t Jeopardize Vets in Need Nationwide
WASHINGTON –-(ENEWSPF)–April 21, 2015. U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) today questioned Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald on the status of investigations into the Edward J. Hines, Jr., VA Hospital following the mistreatment of patients that caused the death of a veteran and a near-fatal misdiagnosis of a Retired U.S. Army Private. Since the VA scandal broke last summer, Senator Kirk has been meeting with whistleblowers and veterans who have witnessed, or have personally suffered, inadequate care and retaliation from Hines officials and doctors. Senator Kirk is Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, which oversees the expenditure of money for veterans’ care, military housing, and defense construction.
“The cases of Thomas Fuller and Michael Swan reflect a trend of malpractice and abuse at the Hines VA,” Senator Kirk said. “Secretary McDonald is reviewing the information and has agreed to investigate these cases and the whistleblowers’ claims, which continue to go ignored by VA officials.”
Thomas F. Fuller went to Hines in October 2013 experiencing chest pains and was given improper treatment by a cardiologist. The cardiologist did not call for assistance and Fuller continued to suffer and experience chest pains. He went into cardiogenic shock and died – and his family later was told that his death never should have happened had he been given adequate and proper care.
Michael Swan waited over a year to see a neurologist and for a year and a half to see an endocrinologist. He came forward to share his story with Senator Kirk last summer when the Senator held a listening session in Berwyn, Illinois, for veterans affected by the VA’s culture of corruption. He needed medication to help save his memory after suffering two strokes and could not get the medication until he had seen the neurologist. Additionally, Swan had a colonoscopy at Hines VA Hospital, where he was misdiagnosed and informed that everything was fine. Two months later he underwent a second colonoscopy at a private hospital, where he was diagnosed with 130 polyps. It is impossible that all of them formed in that two-month timeframe. His colon has since been removed.
Senator Kirk is dissatisfied with Secretary McDonald’s plan to cut $1 billion from the Veterans Choice Act to fund the overrun costs of building the Aurora VA Hospital outside of Denver, Colorado. This project has been under construction for four years, is currently $1 billion over budget, and is now expected to cost $1.73 billion. Whistleblowers raised concerns with VA officials when contractors realized the cost was exceeding the original budget, but they were ignored and fired from their jobs by the then-Executive Director of the VA Office of Acquisition, Logistics and Construction, Glenn Haggstrom.
The MilCon/VA Subcommittee is responsible for funding the Department of Veterans Affairs and vital military construction projects worldwide. The subcommittee has under its jurisdiction $174 billion in spending.
Source: kirk.senate.gov
