TOMAH, Wis. (WDLB) — A Marshfield woman has joined a national group that’s trying to raise awareness concerning problems within the U-S Department of Veterans Affairs.
Candace Baer-Delis was on hand on Monday, when a billboard went up near the Tomah V-A that reads “The V-A is lying, Veterans are dying”. The group is putting up the billboards all across the country, displayed prominently near VA medical centers. Baer and others say it’ll put pressure on officials and Congress to clean up corruption and oversight within the veterans administration. “What the group is trying to do is shame the VA into doing the right thing, because by trying to go about it through normal channels, it’s not getting done.”
Baer’s problems with the veterans group began in January, when her father Thomas Baer of Marshfield went to the Tomah V-A for medical attention, and he died while waiting for hours at Tomah’s urgent care clinic without help. He then suffered from a stroke, but staff members told Candace that his vital signs were completely normal. “My dad’s vitals were copied and pasted through the entire report from his very first set of vitals. He spiked a fever after his second stroke, and the vitals don’t reflect that at all.”
Although Candace wanted to confirm that her father suffered a stroke, hospital staff informed her that the CT scan machine was broken. They also refused to give Thomas drugs to prevent future strokes. Baer suffered a second stroke and died while waiting to be sent over to another hospital. Candace is convinced that the VA is responsible.
She also contends many of those within the Tomah V-A don’t hold licenses to practice in Wisconsin. “Dr. James Patterson, the Urgent Care physician that treated my father, had his license license to practice in the State of Wisconsin revoked in 2013, but according to the VA website that was updated in 2014, he still has a license in Wisconsin. Twenty-five percent of the doctors and nurse practitioners at the Tomah VA are not licensed to practice in the State of Wisconsin. They’re licensed in other states.”
Baer and her family members have a lawsuit pending against the V-A, and they are preparing to file a formal complaint shortly, probably this week. Candace says they might also seek to re-open a full congressional investigation into the Veterans Administration.
The U-S Senate’s Governmental Affairs Committee, chaired by Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson, heard from a group of employees last week that the V-A still has a cultural problem of punishing whistle-blowers who report problems within the V-A health care system. They also said the agency still fails to hold its leaders accountable, a year after we first learned officials covered up evidence of long delays for veterans seeking care.
A media investigation launched in January of this year blew the lid off reports of excessive pain killers being given to patients–which the V-A later confirmed. Deficiencies in care led to the death of Stevens Point marine Jason Simcakoski last summer, which was linked to toxicity due to a dangerous mix of drugs.
Tomah social worker Chris Kirkpatrick shot himself after he reported problems once he was fired for trying to expose problems within the V-A. And the head of the Tomah V-A, Mario DeSanctis, was fired a few weeks ago in the wake of over-prescriptions to patients.
by Mike Warren, WDLB
– – – – – – – – – –
Editor’s note:
Candace Baer-Delis contacted WSAU news, telling us that she was misquoted in this story about her father’s death.
She advises that the passage which states “…and he died while waiting for hours at Tomah’s urgent care clinic without help” is not correct. Her father Thomas Baer died at Gunderson Health System in La Crosse.
She also advises that the passage which states “…hospital staff informed her that the CT scan machine was broken [emphasis added].” She was told the CT scan machine was down, without any additional specificity.
This news story was not originally reported by WSAU news. It was reprinted on-line and on-air from our wire services and a separate news organization. WSAU news believes the above corrections are appropriate for accuracy and clarity.
