The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ Office of Inspector General has released documents that show it stands behind its inspections into the Tomah VA Hospital.
The OIG released a report last year that looked into the levels of opiates being prescribed at the Tomah VA. While the opiate prescription levels were high, the inspection found no wrongdoing. It also investigated a culture of fear and retaliation among staff that it could not substantiate. Since January, veterans, medical center employees and lawmakers have pushed back on those findings, questioning the truth of the results.
The OIG released another review this week that says “unsupported opinions and rumors” that have since circulated about the Tomah VA don’t match what they found in their investigation. The report is critical of Wisconsin lawmakers and whistleblowers.
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The papers are also a response to a subpoena by Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson. As chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, he requested more records into initial Tomah inspection.
Johnson is critical of the OIG’s new report, calling the office “disconnected” and the results “disappointing.” In an email, Johnson said the OIG “continues to impede congressional oversight despite the overwhelming calls for transparency from Wisconsin veterans.”
The OIG said it redacted many pages Johnson requested due to confidentiality.
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