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U.S. Office of Special Counsel

1730 M Street, N.W., Suite 300

Washington, D.C. 20036-4505

U.S. OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL ANNOUNCES REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT DISCLOSING SUBSTANTIAL AND SIGNIFICANT DANGER TO PUBLIC HEALTH AT VA HOSPITAL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 8/14/98
CONTACT: JANE MCFARLAND
(202) 653-7984      

    Today, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) sent a report to President Clinton which disclosed evidence of substantial and specific health dangers at the Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Franklin Delano Roosevelt Hospital (Montrose) in Montrose, New York. 

    The Office of Special Counsel provides federal employees with a secure channel for blowing the whistle on gross mismanagement; gross waste of funds; abuse of authority; violation of law, rule or regulation; and dangers to the public health and safety by the federal government. A VA employee used this channel to report examples of patient neglect at Montrose Hospital. As a result, OSC required the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Honorable Togo D. West, to conduct an investigation and report his findings to OSC. This is the report that OSC transmitted to the President, along with a summary letter.

    The VA’s report included the following documented examples of substantial and specific danger to public health at the facility:

  • a Montrose employee assisting a patient to obtain illegal substances. VA reports that the employee was suspended and is  no longer employed by the hospital. 
  • a one-day delay in searching for a missing patient. The patient was eventually located, but was lost again approximately one year later during a transfer to a different facility, and to date, remains missing. VA reports that it has improved search procedures and made changes regarding staff coverage of patients.
  • a patient overdose of medication prescribed by a VA physician. VA reports that improved prescription writing policies were instituted.

    In addition to providing a secure channel for whistle blowers, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel provides an independent avenue to protect against prohibited personnel practices in federal employment. OSC receives, investigates, and prosecutes before the MSPB, charges concerning the commission of prohibited personnel practices, with priority given to protecting whistleblowers. 

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