Vitter Questions VA Inspector General on Glaring Inconsistencies in VA Wait Times Report

Press Release

U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.) today sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA) Inspector General (IG) Michael Missal questioning the various inconsistencies in a Vitter-requested report entitled, "Evaluation of Reported Wait Times VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System."

"The VA's IG report is an absolute waste of time and resources. Not only did the report ignore the clear conclusion that Dr. Skye McDougall misrepresented VA wait times -- which she most certainly did when she lied before Congress, but it also directly contradicts individual facts from Secretary McDonald's letter to me," said Vitter. "Our veterans deserve a much higher standard of care than what they currently experience, and this continued string of systematic failures within the VA is completely disrespectful to those who have sacrificed so much."

Earlier this year, Vitter had issued a hold on Missal's confirmation process until the latter committed to investigating Dr. Skye McDougall's untrue statements under oath on VA wait times in March 2015. This report was to include the investigation into Dr. McDougall who currently serves as the Director of the Network Director for the South Central Veterans Affairs Health Care Network (VISN 16), which oversees Louisiana's VA health system.

McDougall had previously served as Director for the Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, and during a March 2015 House Committee on Veterans' Affairs hearing, Rep. Dan Benishek (R-Mich.) asked McDougall what the average wait time was in the Los Angeles VA hospital for a new patient. McDougall said the wait time was 4 days on average. CNN later reported that McDougall incorrectly answered under oath and that the average wait time for new patients at that facility was 44 days.

The VA IG report fails to include information related to the CNN documentation, claiming that CNN had "declined to provide copies of any supporting documents." This contradicts a February 3, 2016, letter from Secretary McDonald to Vitter in which Secretary McDonald acknowledges that CNN shared its supporting documents. Vitter contends that the IG's failure to include this information impacts the report's findings.

When McDougall was announced to be the new Network Director for VISN 16, which includes Louisiana, Vitter led the Louisiana delegation in urging Secretary McDonald to rescind McDougall's appointment. McDougall was named Director in January 2016.

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