A grand jury has begun hearing evidence from federal prosecutors in the case examining the deaths of 11 veterans at Clarksburg, W.Va.-based Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center, according to the Washington Post.
The veterans in the hospital's medical-surgical unit were improperly injected with insulin from 2017-18. Three of the deaths were ruled homicides. The investigation into the matter began 18 months ago.
According to people familiar with the matter, who spoke to the Post on the condition of anonymity, the grand jury is hearing testimony from nurses and providers about a former nursing assistant at the hospital, who is a person of interest in the case.
The nursing assistant, who worked the overnight shift, allegedly gave the veterans multiple unauthorized insulin injections. Most of the veterans were not diabetic, and they eventually died from low blood sugar. The nurse was fired in 2019.
This month, lawmakers introduced a bill in the U.S. House requiring the VA to provide detailed reports on patient safety and care quality at its hospitals.