Federal Audit Blames Mismanagement for Three Atlanta VA Patient Deaths

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, who was unavailable, and the staff told the man to take public transportation to the emergency department. He never went and committed suicide the next day.

Read the full AJC story for more information.