WASHINGTON – Following reports of uncorrected sanitation problems at the Kansas City VA Medical Center, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi has relieved two senior administrators of their duties and ordered independent reviews of the facility.
"VA has an obligation to provide quality health care to America's veterans," Principi said. "Failure to maintain sanitary standards is unacceptable, both with employees and with managers charged with maintaining standards."
Principi directed the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs to immediately undertake two investigations. One will deal with the current condition of the Kansas City VAMC and the effect of any deficiencies on the quality and outcome of medical care for veterans treated at the medical center.
The second IG investigation will deal with the adequacy of leadership and supervision by both VA central office and the regional leadership in the discharge of their respective responsibilities to monitor health care operations.
Principi also ordered the immediate removal of both the regional network director and deputy director. Both have been assigned temporary duties in the Washington headquarters of the Department of Veterans Affairs pending the outcome of the reviews.
Principi took the action after learning that officials at the Kansas City medical center had failed to correct the problems that led to unsanitary conditions in 1998, as documented by a subsequent report by the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"VA's doctors and nurses are recognized as leaders in many fields of the health care profession," Principi said. "We will not tolerate -- they will not tolerate -- conditions that fail to keep up to our standards."
