Lawmakers are pressing VA leadership to elaborate on the patient safety issues at Aurora, Colo.-based Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center that have stopped surgeries at the facility, The Denver Post reported July 9.
The push comes after reports revealed Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center paused heart surgeries between 2022 and 2023 due to lack of staff but did not tell the federal Veterans Health Administration. Additional reports found hospital leaders created "a culture of fear" that discouraged staff from bringing up safety concerns. The lawmakers are also seeking answers regarding the more recent halt on surgeries in May due to an unknown residue found on reusable medical equipment. As of June 13, 436 surgeries were delayed or moved to other hospitals due to the sanitation issue.
Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Rep. Jason Crow sent a letter to the VA leadership July 8 asking it to explain the patient safety issues and the steps it plans to take to address the hospital's cultural issues.
"As problems persist within the (Eastern Colorado hospital system), we are increasingly concerned about the quality of care Colorado veterans receive, a lack of adherence to the required medical and employee procedures, and how recent leadership changes have impeded the system's effectiveness," the lawmakers wrote. "We share the goal of providing veterans across the country with timely, quality and consistent health care. The continuous appointment delays and ongoing quality issues at (the hospital) undermine this objective."
The letter also asked the VA about staffing shortages which have left some veterans waiting for months before their first face-to-face appointment with a provider.