Friday, December 6, 2013

Investigation of Veterans Deaths at VA

If you live in the area of the Charlie Norwood Veteran Administration (VA) hospital in Augusta, there’s a good chance you’ve seen the coverage of problems that led to the death of at least three veterans.  These deaths were reportedly caused by a delay in getting some veterans the care they need. We have a responsibility to provide quality health care to veterans after they serve our country, and clearly, that didn’t happen.


Before Thanksgiving, I called on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs to conduct a full investigation into what went wrong at the Augusta VA.  This isn’t an issue we can let slide.  We have to work to find answers about who dropped the ball and hold them responsible.  I’ve received a personal commitment from the Veterans Affairs Committee in the House to bring their leadership to Augusta to find out what went wrong.  We’ll stay on top of this issue until we can get some answers for the families who’ve lost loved ones.

Again this year, we’re collecting Christmas cards for the service men and women who’ve been injured and can’t spend the holidays at home with their families.  If you or your family are interested in contributing a card, please make sure to have it to our Augusta District Office by December 13th.  Also, my Augusta District Office is an official Toys for Tots drop off location.  I want to make sure we can spread some Christmas cheer to the children whose families have fallen on hard times.

This is a great time of year.  I’ll be participating in lots of Christmas parades throughout the district, so perhaps our paths will cross and we can visit some. In any case, I hope you and yours have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

And, as always, if there’s anything I can do to help you or someone you know, please don’t hesitate to call on me.

John Barrow
Member of Congress

* At the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia, the VA said three veterans died as a result of delayed care. Internal documents at that facility showed a waiting list of 4,500 patients, according to news reports.

MORE VETERANS DEATHS

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