Delays in Care at Chattanooga VA Clinic

Medical malpractice or delayed medical care may have led to the death of more than 1,000 veterans over the past 10 years, according to a recent report issued by the office of the office of Senator Tom Coburn.

A nationwide audit issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs has further supported the fact that our veterans are victims of delayed or inadequate health care by VA treatment centers throughout the US. Out of 731 VA hospital facilities, 112 were flagged for additional review, including the VA outpatient clinic in Chattanooga. Clinic medical malpractice is rare, but it does happen.

According to the audit conducted by the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, new patients within the Tennessee Valley system (2 medical centers and 13 outpatient centers) wait an average of almost 2 months to see a primary care doctor and 71 days to see a specialist.

For the Chattanooga VA clinic, this is not the first time the facility has been scrutinized. In 1998, an investigation into delayed treatment and other shortcomings were conducted by the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG). In 2011, OIG cited the Chattanooga clinic for the delay in identifying a patient’s cancer. The patient’s treating VA doctor had the veteran undergo an MRI. However, the results of the MRI went unread and unreported. The cancerous tumor was ultimately discovered by a non-VA hospital almost a year after the original MRI. Sadly, the tumor had doubled in size and the patient died a few months later.

If you or a loved one is a veteran and have suffered as a result of clinic medical malpractice by the VA, including a delay in receiving medical care, please contact a medical malpractice attorney immediately for help. The consultation is 100% free and we take medical negligence cases on a contingency basis, which means there is never a fee unless we win your case. Contact us anytime at (423) 697-4529.