Citing "new, troubling allegations," members of Minnesota's congressional delegation are asking for an investigation of claims that the Hibbing VA clinic tampered with patient schedules.
The schedules were altered, according to some former workers at the clinic, to make it appear that veterans were being seen on a more timely basis than was true.
In reality, the ex-workers said, instead of being seen within two weeks of their desired appointment date, veterans often had to wait six to eight weeks. Six workers, including nurses and clerks, have come forward to say they objected to the practice, but were ordered to manipulate the scheduling by going in and backdating computer appointments.
In a letter to the VA's Inspector General Tuesday afternoon, Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar and Reps. Tim Walz and Rick Nolan asked that the allegations be fully investigated.
"As we have made clear in previous communication with VA Leadership and the OIG, in order to fix the VA and restore faith in the health care system for our veterans, all allegations of wrongdoing must be investigated and anyone committing wrongdoing must be punished to the full extent of the law," the officials wrote in their letter.
Nolan represents the congressional district in northern Minnesota and has met with veterans and their advocates who have raised concerns about the Hibbing clinic.
Walz is a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee and a retired command sergeant major in the U.S. Army.
Stopped in April
The Star Tribune reported Sunday that the former Hibbing employees maintain that the backdating orders stopped only in late April, when investigators found that the VA medical system, which serves almost 9 million veterans nationwide every year, was maintaining secret waiting lists and delivering insufficient care throughout its system.
