The Veterans Administration is looking into allegations that over a 7-year period, the Van Zandt VA Medical Center failed to follow-up with hundreds of head injury patients, hurt fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan,
James Denofrio, the Administrative Officer for Van Zandt’s Physical Rehab Department says in 2014, he, his department supervisor, and the hospital’s chief of staff were contacted by the chief medical officer at the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center. He told them to find out why a majority of brain injury patients at Altoona, weren’t getting case management and follow-up.
Denofrio says the investigation showed that between 2007 and 2013, more than 400 patient listed as being under treatment, hadn’t received necessary follow-up. The list included 6 people who had died and one serving a life sentence for multiple murders.
The whistleblower says the hospital reportedly cleared up the backlog, but a second review that year, showed 90 brain injury patients, who weren’t being followed, and it included the previous 6 patients who had died and one who’d committed suicide.
Denofrio tells WTAJ, the administration at Van Zandt tried at least twice to have him fired, and that physicians there tampered with his medical records, which resulted in false information about his mental competency being released.
The whistleblower didn’t want to go on camera, but told WTAJ not only is the VA looking into the failure to follow up on brain injury treatment in patients, both federal and state investigations are underway into efforts to fire him, to access his medical records, and to smear his reputation .
Denofrio says he’s working with Senator Bob Casey, Congressman Bill Shuster, and the House Committee of Veterans Affairs.
The Van Zandt VA Medical Center did not respond to 2 calls from WTAJ News asking for comment.
