Atlanta VA Hospital Presents New Director

Leslie Wiggins comes on board as the hospital addresses several citations from an independent accrediting agency.

Leslie Wiggins is the new director of the Atlanta VA Medical Center. Wiggins' background includes serving as chief operating officer at the Detroit VA Medical Center, as VA Deputy Assistant Secretary for Labor-Management Relations and as a nurse executive, according to CBS Atlanta. Wiggins has her work cut out for her. An independent accrediting agency in March cited the hospital for a number of problems related to patient safety and procedures. Wiggins, according to the news outlet, told reporters at a news conference today: "Veterans can be confident they will get the care they deserve. I already have the ball rolling." Read also:

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Lawmakers Call for Changes at Atlanta VA Medical Center

After congressmen learned of a fourth suicide at the veterans hospital, they called for leadership changes last week.

Lawmakers called for changes at the Atlanta VA Medical Center last week after learning about a fourth patient suicide that occurred last fall at the hospital on Clairmont Road. U.S. Reps. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., and David Scott, D-Atlanta, toured the facility last week and called for action to improve hospital service to ailing veterans, and Scott demanded leadership changes, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. From the story: When Miller asked hospital officials whether there were any other patient deaths Congress should know about, he said he was told, “No.” But last November, hospital staff discovered Army veteran Joseph Petit, 42, locked in a hospital bathroom dead in his wheelchair, a plastic trash bag tied over his head with …

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Accrediting Agency Notes Numerous Issues at VA Hospital

The report also lists patient monitoring, cleanliness in the pharmacy and other problems.

Accrediting Agency Notes Numerous Issues at VA Hospital

Some problems involve safety and procedure, according to Channel 2 Action News.

An independent accrediting agency has recently detailed a number of issues, some related to safety, cleanliness and proper procedure, at the Atlanta VA Medical Center, Channel 2 Action News reports. The news outlet says a source sent it a copy of the survey report by The Joint Commisssion. According to  Channel 2's report, during the agency's visit to the VA medical center in March, it observed things such as laryngoscope blades and handles in the intensive care unit "stored together in an open plastic bag that appeared to have been used multiple times." The report also lists patient monitoring, cleanliness in the pharmacy and other problems, Channel 2's report says.

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Congress to Scrutinize Atlanta VA Medical Center?

The U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee may look into last week's federal report about negligence at the Clairmont Road facility.

The Atlanta VA Medical Center may now have to deal with a congressional committee regarding a federal report last week that linked three patient deaths at the center to mismanagement. Rep. Jeff Miller, head of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said he wants medical center officials disciplined, suspended or fired, according to wsbtv.com. From the story: Some of these issues, the suicides, were pretty egregious problems. Not something that happened, an accident. Somebody wasn't paying close attention," Miller told MacFarlane. Internal auditors at the VA revealed at least two patients in the mental health unit in Decatur showed suicidal tendencies in recent months, sought help and then got lost in red tape. Ultimately, the patients …

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Mother: Robbery Suspect Received Poor Care from Atlanta VA

Sy Smith was charged this week with assaulting an elderly man and stealing his car.

The mother of an Iraq war veteran accused of beating and robbing an elderly man said she believes the Atlanta VA Medical Center did not properly treat her son's post-war mental disorder. Sy Smith was charged this week with assaulting a Korean War veteran and stealing his car. He was treated at the medical center for post-traumatic stress disorder following a suicide attempt, according to wsbtv.com. From the story, which includes a video report: “When they let him out, they gave him a bag full of drugs and said, ‘Here, take these.’ Which he didn’t do properly,” Smith’s mother said. Smith’s victim, 79-year-old Jack Wilson, is still bruised from the brutal attack. Police said Smith attacked Wilson at his own mailbox and beat him before …

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Federal Audit Blames Mismanagement for Three Atlanta VA Patient Deaths

The audit was conducted by the federal government.

Three people died under the Atlanta VA Medical Center's watch over the last two years after it referred patients to a contractor while neglecting others immediately under its own care, according to a new federal audit. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on the audit Thursday evening. From that story: Many of the 4,000 patients the veterans hospital referred to the DeKalb Community Service Board “fell through the cracks,” the audit by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Inspector General found. One died of an apparent drug overdose after the community service board was unable to connect him with a psychiatrist for nearly a year after his referral. Another tried to see the VA facility’s Health Care for Homeless Veterans psychiatrist, …

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New VA Medical Center Director Named

Leslie B. Wiggins will take over in the next 60 days.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is pleased to announce the appointment of Leslie B. Wiggins as the new Director of the Atlanta VA Medical Center. Wiggins will oversee the delivery of health care to more than 89,000 veterans via a workforce of more than 2,900 employees and an operating budget of more than $500 million. Wiggins has a proven track record as an exceptional health care leader and former VA deputy assistant secretary for Labor Management Relations with outstanding qualifications and skills, demonstrated management ability to lead complex organizations, motivate employees, manage resources, and work successfully with widely varied stakeholder groups. Wiggins will arrive at the medical center within the next 45-60 days to begin…

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VA Medical Center to Hire 20 New Clinicians

The new jobs are part of a nationwide hiring push at Veterans Affairs.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki recently announced the department would add approximately 1,600 mental health clinicians as well as nearly 300 support staff to its existing workforce. VA estimates that 20 clinicians and three support personnel will be hired to support mental health operations at the Atlanta VA Medical Center. Funding has now been distributed to the facility and recruitment is underway. VA has an existing workforce of 20,696 mental health staff that includes nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers. Currently, 311 mental health clinicians and support staff work locally supporting Atlanta-area Veterans. With each additional mental health care provider, a facility could potentially reach …

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County Jobs Bus Headed for North Druid Hills Again

The county's mobile career center will stop by the Atlanta VA Medical Center on May 8 and May 22.

If you're in search of a job, here's some news: The DeKalb County jobs bus will be coming back to North Druid Hills this month – twice, in fact, to the Atlanta VA Medical Center. The mobile career center will be stationed at various locations throughout DeKalb County. The mobile unit supports the ONE DeKalb Works initiative by providing work readiness services and putting DeKalb County citizens back to work. The mobile unit also provides residents with essential services, including job search assistance, adult workshops and training, resume writing, and interviewing tips. Businesses are also able to use the mobile unit for recruiting, pre-employment screenings, interviewing and training. Below are the Mobile Career Center’s scheduled …

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