"candyland" Tomah Va Hearing Today

[Berta]

"Candyland" hearing in Tomah Today





"MADISON, Wis. — Like flashes of lightning, sharp pains strike 39-year-old Jason Bishop's left arm several times a day, causing him to writhe in agony.

Frustrated by his chronic suffering, Bishop has struggled to find relief at several Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals, including an embattled medical center in Tomah. He said the VA hospitals have offered him treatment, including prescriptions for narcotics, but few long-term solutions.

"They don't fix you. They're not trying to find an answer," Bishop said. "They just control you with medication."

The hospital is at the center of multiple probes after reports of narcotic overprescribing practices and retaliatory behavior surfaced in January — allegations already affirmed by a preliminary report. The facility was known to some in the community as "Candy Land" because of the prescriptions of narcotics coming from physicians there. Former Marine Jason Simcakoski, 35, died of an overdose in the hospital's inpatient care unit. U.S. House and Senate committees are to hold a joint field hearing Monday in Tomah."
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/297928001.html

"OMAH, Wis. — A pair of U.S. House and Senate committees will hold a joint field hearing on allegations of narcotic overprescribing practices and retaliatory behavior at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Tomah.

The hearing is scheduled Monday in Tomah.

The facility in west-central Wisconsin came under scrutiny in January following reports that physicians were prescribing more painkillers than most VA hospitals and employees who spoke out were subjected to intimidation. The hospital is under investigation by the VA, the VA Office of the Inspector General and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The deaths of 74-year-old Thomas Baer, of Marshfield, last month; 35-year-old Jason Simcakoski, of Stevens Point in 2014; and 27-year-old Jacob Ward, of Milwaukee in 2013, prompted state representatives to call for a federal probe."

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/297979991.html

[Tbird]

Tomah VAMC: Examining Quality, Access, and a Culture of Over-Reliance on High-Risk Medications

House Committee on Veterans' Affairs | Cranberry Country Lodge, 319 Wittig Road Tomah, Wisconsin 54660 | Mar 30, 2015 1:00pm

[Buck52]

I wish they would start investigating all VA Medical Centers!

At Random!

..................Buck!

[Navy04]

Berta thanks for the info