Noteboom The Law Firm

Marion Dept. of Veterans Affairs Medical Center Reopening

The Marion Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center's in-patient surgical unit has been closed for more than 4 years. In that time, the center has undergone changes in both staff and procedural protocol. Not only is the Marion VA Medical Center going to once again start performing "standard-level inpatient surgeries," there are talks of renovation and even expansion.

In 2007, the VA found multiple "instances of surgical malfeasance" at the Marion VA clinic, which were related to 9 veterans dying. All surgeries were immediately suspended and in-patient surgeries have not been reinstated. VA as well as independent inspectors have been all over the clinic ever since with a level of scrutiny possibly never before seen.

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Medical Inspector, and the Joint Commission have all gone over the clinic, which now has full accreditation. Internal and external reviews have resulted in critical improvements being made so veterans are given the high quality of health care they deserve.

The types of surgeries that will be resumed at the Medical Center are those classified as "standard-level." These low-risk procedures and generally "minimally invasive operations" will include:

 

• appendectomies; and
• hernia repair.

 

The staff went from 800 to 1300 and now includes enough surgical personnel to maintain a normal surgery program. From the minute veterans become patients at the Marion VA Medical Center, their care is provided by VA health care providers.