For the men and women who have served in the United States military, the Department of Veterans Affairs is an incredibly valuable benefit. Many New York veterans seek necessary care and treatment from VA facilities, and expect that the medical professionals there are competent and trustworthy. Unfortunately, this may simply not be the case. A recent investigation revealed that the VA has a bad habit of hiring doctors previously accused and found responsible for medical malpractice.
In 2013, one VA center hired a new psychiatrist. The center either did not fully verify his credentials, education or references, or it simply did not care that he had already faced disciplinary actions on his medical license. He later went on to have an inappropriate relationship with one of his patients — something he had been disciplined for in the past.
In another instance, a neurosurgeon hired in early 2017 by the VA was not properly vetted before being allowed to operate on patients. He had been accused of medical malpractice in over 12 settlements and lawsuits across two different states. His past medical malpractice suits were all related to former patients who were allegedly left severely injured, paralyzed or even dead, and many of his VA patients have suffered severe complications from surgery.
Not only has the VA apparently demonstrated its lack of integrity when hiring medical professionals, several centers provide inadequate reporting to a national database that is supposed to prevent dangerous doctors from finding new jobs in different states. These actions are incredibly irresponsible and put New York veterans at risk of suffering serious injuries and complications from negligent doctors. Medical malpractice lawsuits tend to be the best option not only for achieving related compensation, but also for implementing changes that can protect future patients.
Source: thehill.com, “USA Today finds multiple VA hospitals hire doctors with legal problems”, Brett Samuels, Dec. 3, 2017