VA Takes Action to Restore Trust at Atlanta VAMC’s Eagles’ Nest Community Living Center

Today, Veterans Health Administration Executive in Charge Dr. Richard Stone announced a number of actions VA is taking in response to recent events at the Atlanta VA Medical Center’s Eagles’ Nest Community Living Center and ongoing issues at other VA facilities in that region.

These actions include: 

• Placing the Veterans Integrated Service Network 7 director on immediate administrative leave
  • Effective immediately, Charleston, S.C., VAMC director Scott Isaacks will take over as Acting VISN 7 director
• Detailing the VISN 7 Chief Medical Officer to other administrative duties outside the VISN, pending a review of the quality and safety of care issues in the network
• Detailing seven Atlanta VAMC staff members into non-patient care positions while an Administrative Investigation Board composed of subject matter experts from outside VISN 7 investigates the handling of this issue
• Realigning VA’s Office of Network Support, a VA Central Office-based organization that had been responsible for collecting and disseminating reports regarding incidents at medical centers across the nation to VHA leadership
  • This move will streamline VA’s adverse action reporting processes by ensuring issues are quickly reported from local and regional officials to VHA leaders
• Retraining all VA personnel involved in reporting urgent issues throughout the chain of command

The VHA Chief of Staff and VHA Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management were in Atlanta this week working with Atlanta VA Health Care System’s new Director Ann Brown to conduct an onsite review of Eagles’ Nest CLC’s operations to ensure it has the right leaders and staff in place to provide the highest quality health care and services possible.

“What happened at Eagles’ Nest was unacceptable, and we want to ensure that Veterans and families know we are determined to restore their trust in the facility,” said VHA Executive in Charge Dr. Richard Stone.  “Transparency and accountability are key principles at VA, and they will guide our efforts in this regard.”