According to the VA’s own website, The Veterans Health Administration provides care at 1298 healthcare facilities, including 171 medical centers and 1,113 outpatient sites all serving nine million enrolled Veterans each year.
The United States is principally divided into eighteen (18) Veterans Integrated Service Networks, or VISNs — regional systems of care (allegedly) working together to better meet local health care needs of America’s veterans.
Of all the VA medical centers, for some odd reason, MilitaryCorruption.com generally only receives complaints about the Dorn VA Medical Center located in Columbia, South Carolina.
MC.com staff was recently asked, “Have we received any complaints about any of the other 170 other medical centers? There has to be major screwups going on at other hospitals. Why do we only hear about Dorn over and over again?”
The stories we receive about the Dorn VA Medical Center seem to never end. For Example: Vascular surgeon (Dr. Joann Marie Lohr) was under OIG investigation for wrongful amputation, and her high percentage of fistulas that have failed. In surgical terms a fistula is an opening made into a hollow organ, as the bladder or eyeball for example, for drainage.
Dr. Lohr was “suspended”, and not allowed to see patients. However she got attorneys involved and will presumably begin seeing patients once again in a couple of weeks. Our sources tell us that veterans patronizing the Dorn VA Medical Center need to be warned extensively about the harm Dr. Lohr has done to other veterans.
She’s had multiple malpractice suits in Ohio before she came to Dorn VA. They can be found by an easy search “Hamilton County Ohio Public Records.”
www.oversight.gov/sites/default/files/oig-reports/VA/VAOIG-21-03203-239.pdf
Amazingly, the VA has embraced a Pentagon tactic with regards to their admirals and generals; they do not hold them accountable, they just move them to a new venue. It’s a shell game that protects the careers of people who frankly should not have a career because of their failed leadership and/or malfeasance.
NOW COMES MERKLE
For a moment there, we thought we finally received a complaint about another VA medical center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, but it turned out to be a person warning Dorn employees that Omura’s replacement is far worse than Omura ever was. Just when we thought we were out, the Dorn VA Medical Center pulls us back in.
The information provider categorically stated the newly Director designate John F. Merkle, is probably worse than the former Director David Omura who is suspected of misappropriating COVID bonus money. The person who wrote to MilitaryCorruption.com puts forth a compelling case, but we offer equal time for John Merkle to tell his side of the story.
THE COMMUNIQUE GOES AS FOLLOWS…
The Senior Executive Service (SES) Director who Dr. Walker intends to replace David Omura is Mr. John F. Merkle from Tuscaloosa who is worse than Omura.
This needs to be investigated and reported. It’s a travesty that Dr. Walker installed JOHN F. MERKLE as the Director of the Dorn VA Medical Center (DVAMC).
Numerous OIG reports about John Merkle and the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center (TVAMC) substantiated his FAILED LEADERSHIP.
Three strikes and you’re out does not apply to VA’s Senior Executive Service. An OIG report substantiated FAILED LEADERSHIP at the Tuscaloosa VAMC as well as VISN 7.
Employees at TVAMC are appalled how the current TVAMC leadership is still in place.
The report shows cover up not only by Director John Merkle, but also the Associate Director, Tracy White, who also was the Chief QMO for years and worked directly for John Merkle.
Patient Safety is not a priority at Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center (TVAMC).
TVAMC Leadership and the director’s staff lie and cover up problems because they are in fear of losing their jobs like others have in the past. There is no psychological safety or just culture.
The comment below is an example of what he allowed on the daily safety call at the Tuscaloosa VAMC. Leadership allowed these type of comments to perpetuate over months and months.
“Riddle: What gets longer if pulled, fits snugly between breasts, slides neatly into a hole, chokes people when used incorrectly, and works well when jerked.”
The OIG reports below address sustained failures of TVAMC and VISN 7.
Leadership MUST be held accountable…
2019 – Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center Alabama
2020 – Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center in Alabama
2021 – Deficiencies in Administrative Actions for a Patient’s Inpatient Mental Health Unit and Community Living Center Admissions at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center in Alabama
2022 – STATEMENT OF INSPECTOR GENERAL MICHAEL J. MISSAL
2023 – OIG Finds Vulnerability Management and Remediation Inadequacies at Alabama VA Medical Center
2023 – Deficiencies in the Patient Safety Program and Oversight Provided by Facility and VISN Leaders at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center in Alabama
www.va.gov/oig/
VA Hospital ‘High-Risk’ Vulnerability Unaddressed for Years (bankinfosecurity.com)
VA Hospital ‘High-Risk’ Vulnerability Unaddressed for Years
Vulnerability management issues are a common problem for many healthcare entities and can become an even bigger …
TVAMC leadership stated that safety is a high priority, however the comments below from the DAILY SAFETY CALL demonstrate their lack of concern, seriousness and unprofessionalism.
READ BELOW: The comment below is an example of what the SES Director, John F. Merkle, allowed on the daily safety call at the Tuscaloosa VAMC.
The leadership allows for these type of comments to continue and employees are concerned that nothing is being done. Also ,the follow up on the Safety Call is very poor if there is any follow up done at all. Employees want to see the documentation and follow up from the Daily Safety Call.
“Riddle: What gets longer if pulled, fits snugly between breasts, slides neatly into a hole, chokes people when used incorrectly, and works well when jerked.”
Random Quote: “Licking someone’s face is a quick and 100% foolproof way of ending a conversation.”
See more Safety Call meeting comments below – Where in the world is the LEADERSHIP ?
[5/9 9:24 AM] – Happy Lost Sock Memorial Day, everyone!!!
[5/9 9:27 AM] – I have a basket full in my laundry room. Keep hope alive
[5/9 9:28 AM – So when is FOUND sock Memorial Day?
[5/9 9:28 AM] – Any day you find a sock is a reason to celebrate!!!!
[5/9 9:30 AM] – nobody ever finds those lost socks robin…. laugh 1
[5/24 9:25 AM] – Is a hot dog a sandwich?
[5/24 9:26 AM] – yes.. Only until you eat it; then, it’s partially digested.
[9:26 AM] – Stop it! Please, stop it!
[9:26 AM] – So then, is cereal technically soup?
[9:27 AM] – Add salt and pepper.
[9:30 AM] – What happens when sour cream expires?
Referring again to: Deficiencies in the Patient Safety Program and Oversight Provided by Facility and VISN Leaders at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center in Alabama
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) concluded that the multi-level missed opportunities to recognize deficiencies in the Patient Safety Program were in part due to lack of action by facility and VISN leaders.
Facility leaders failed to fully engage with the Patient Safety Program and did not sufficiently utilize available tools to assess and evaluate programmatic performance.
In doing so, the framework in place at the facility to support a culture of safety and ensure the safety of every patient was fractured and could not comprehensively address vulnerabilities that can lead to patient harm.
OIG determined that the VISN oversight of the facility’s Patient Safety Program was ineffective as evidenced by the failure to proactively identify programmatic deficiencies during the tenure of the former PSM.
The OIG found deficiencies in the facility’s Patient Safety Program and that a lack of programmatic oversight by facility and VISN leaders resulted in the failure to comply with VHA mandated standards for patient safety including managing and completing JPSR events, RCAs, and a proactive risk assessment.
The Facility Director stated that JPSR event reports were discussed daily but noted now understanding that the, “actual important part of it, having the area investigate, look in [look into circumstances related to the event], see what we can learn from them [the events] was not being done.”
The OIG found that the facility had RCAs that had not been done or were not fully implemented despite prior OIG reviews dating back to 2019 identifying these failures and making four recommendations to the Facility Director to ensure completion of RCA requirements.
In response to the OIG’s recommendations, facility leaders developed action plans to (allegedly) correct the deficiencies.
However, a subsequent 2020 OIG CHIP report found that facility leaders had failed to correct the deficiencies identified in the 2019 CHIP report and that “the medical center had no evidence of improvement or movement toward resolution for the four open recommendations related to RCAs from the previous inspection
The OIG found that the structural oversight in place was not fully operational and missed opportunities to identify or mitigate gaps in the Patient Safety Program.
The OIG found the facility responded with a corrective action plan that was ineffective and resulted in repeat findings in the 2020 OIG CHIP report. Likewise, the actions taken in response to the repeat findings were insufficient as evidenced by the RCA failures outlined in the 2021 Issue Brief.
The OIG found, that by not ensuring an operational Patient Safety Program, facility leaders missed a critical opportunity to promote a culture of safety within the facility. In promoting a culture of safety, leaders must make patient safety an organizational priority and ensure programmatic integrity.
In an interview with the OIG, the VISN Director described assessing what led to programmatic failures at the facility stating, “you have a facility that has a Patient Safety Program on paper…but it’s not operational.”
The VISN Director shared that facility leaders considered programmatic failures discovered after the resignation of the former PSM to be a “person problem.”
The VISN Director shared the view that addressing issues at an individual level results in a failure to adequately address what is inevitability a larger system issue. As noted earlier in the report, the OIG confirmed that the Associate Director and chief of quality management were aware to some degree of the former PSM’s performance issues.
However, both supervisors failed to adequately assess the extent of the issues and initiate effective corrective action. In addition, the Associate Director reported to the OIG having awareness of the former PSM’s requests for more staff due to workload demands.
The OIG determined that the lack of discussion and analysis of patient safety reports in committee meeting minutes suggested that facility leaders and committee members were not actively engaged in supporting a culture of safety.
The OIG concluded that multi-level failures to recognize deficiencies of the Patient Safety Program were in part due to lack of action by facility leaders. Facility leaders failed to fully engage with the Patient Safety Program and did not sufficiently utilize available tools to assess and evaluate programmatic performance.
In doing so, the framework in place to support a culture of safety and ensure the safety of every patient was fractured and could not comprehensively address vulnerabilities that can lead to patient harm.
Employees want to know when something will be done to change the leadership at the Tuscaloosa VAMC and VISN 7. The current leadership does not embody the ICARE values. The SES Directors are not fit for public service.
John F. Merkle is deceitful, unprofessional and inappropriate behavior has been reported before. Employees are questioning why the VISN 7 and VA leadership allow this to continue.
Comment from MC.com:
If even a fraction of what this person reports about the so-called leadership of John Merkle is true, Dorn VA Medical Center is heading into the abyss. There were 1.3 million active duty military members in 2022, but recruiting is falling since then. There are many articles to write, just about our active duty members being screwed over, but we cannot forget the veterans who have already served. Many are also being screwed over as well.
This is why we keep a close eye on the treatment our veterans receive from all quarters. It appears that we may have many more articles to write about the Dorn VA Medical Center. Sadly, this change in leadership at Dorn may be just more of the same as it was under the failed leadership of David Omura.
Is it just us, or do we have the nasty feeling the VA plays a shell game. When one SES administrator screws up, they just move the screwed up individual to another medical center. Any bets that Omura turns up in charge of a different VA medical center?
Dear readers, we know that our Veterans Administration has an enormous task providing services and benefits to millions of veterans. We also know there are many dedicated employees out of the 360 employees associated with the VA. We know this and we appreciate the monumental task that lays at the feet of the VA Secretary, but…
Were is the leadership? People need to be held accountable and people need to be fired long before they spend years screwing up the system. For Heaven sake, put on your war-paint and clean house. Embrace and revere the philosophy that if you don’t help solve the problem, then YOU ARE THE PROBLEM.
We always believe in giving the new guy a chance but it appears that John F. Merkle didn’t do such a bang-up job in Alabama. He indeed could be as bad or worse than David Omura.
Only time will tell…
