VA Fires Head of DC Facility Amid Confidentiality Breach, Leadership Concerns Says Veterans Attorney Jim Fausone
Sep 14, 2017
Legal Help for Veterans is a law firm helping veterans get the benefits they deserve.
Northville, MI (Law Firm Newswire) September 14, 2017 – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) fired the longtime director of its main veterans medical center in Washington, D.C.
Brian Hawkins was dismissed due to growing concerns about his leadership of the VA facility. The VA released a statement saying “he failed to provide effective leadership.” Hawkins was reassigned to a different post within the agency in April pending further review. Retired Army Col. Lawrence Connell has served as the hospital’s acting director since then.
“The disciplinary action taken against Brian Hawkins reiterates the fact that the VA is now more committed to enhancing accountability in the department,” commented Jim Fausone, a Michigan veterans attorney. “Both VA employees and leaders should face the appropriate consequences if they put veterans at the risk of harm and are not aligned with the VA’s mission.”
Hawkins’ departure followed several months of investigations by the VA Office of Inspector General. Audits found evidence of mismanagement at the facility. The hospital’s patients were endangered by poor inventory practices and organizational dysfunction.
The VA Inspector General Michael J. Missal released the findings of an internal probe in April. His report documented “the highest levels of chaos” at the Washington, D.C. medical center, including large-scale medical supply shortages and unsanitary conditions in equipment storage areas.
The VA had an even bigger cause for concern when its internal watchdog made public another report in June. It revealed that Hawkins had emailed “sensitive” information about administrative decisions and VA staff to his wife’s personal account. She is not a VA employee. According to the report, the emails were a breach of the department’s rules on data confidentiality.
Hawkins was fired after the inspector general’s office recommended new disciplinary action be taken against him. Missal was unable to prove separate accusations of Hawkins trying to obstruct an investigation into staff bonuses that he authorized “without proper justification.” The report, however, said his employees delayed providing certain documents related to the probe.
Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com
Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC
41700 West Six Mile Road, Suite 101
Northville, MI 48168
Toll Free Phone: 800.693.4800
- Washington Passes Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act
Kristina L. Derro, Esq. Veterans have struggled for years to efficiently navigate through the VA appeals process. Appealing disability benefits claims could take, on average, three to five years to complete. Many of these benefits are critical to thousands of veterans worldwide, and they can’t afford to be kept waiting years for the process to […] - VA launches technological upgrades to mobile health care system for veterans
President Trump announced a new initiative to improve veterans’ access to health care using technology. Several tools will serve to expand the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) existing telehealth services, including a new application that allows patients to schedule appointments from their mobile devices. Veterans can use their smartphones or computers to connect with their […] - Lawmakers want answers about slow VA reimbursements that are hurting veterans’ credit
A bipartisan group of 40 House lawmakers wrote a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin. They criticized the VA for slow reimbursements to private medical providers, which are damaging the credit reports of veterans who use the Veterans Choice Program. The Veterans Choice Program allows eligible veterans to seek health care […] - Memphis VA Broke Protocols Regarding Veteran Wait List
Kristina L. Derro, Esq. After complaints from Congress and special counsel, a government audit found that 140 veterans who were seeking specialized service at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Memphis were wrongly booted from wait lists. Some of these veterans had already been waiting months. The complaints asserted that the VA was attempting […]
