releases: https://palazzo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=381489
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
This data as json
| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| https://palazzo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=381489 | Palazzo Condemns Jackson VAMC Failures at House Veterans Affairs Hearing | 2013-11-13 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MS | Steven Palazzo | P000601 | palazzo.house.gov | legacy | Washington, DC- Congressman Steven Palazzo, (MS-4), today at a House Veterans Affairs Committee Hearing, condemned recent reports of improper and inadequate care given to veterans at the Jackson Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). The hearing took place on the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and included two panels of former and current Jackson VAMC officials. It just seems like we are breaking one of our fundamental promises to the men and women who serve our nation, and that's not providing the care that they deserve, that they have earned, Palazzo stated. I'm shocked, I'm sickened, I'm disgusted that we are even having this. And that this is a VA medical center that bears the name Sonny Montgomery, is not in keeping with his legacy of service. The Jackson VAMC has been the subject of intense scrutiny following whistleblower allegations that were substantiated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the United States Office of Special Counsel, the Office of Investigator General, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Among the allegations are: understaffing of personnel, overbooking of patients, lack of supervision for medical staff, fraudulent Medicare certifications, and illegal narcotics prescription policies. In one case, a veteran employee of the Jackson VAMC who came in for a routine skin graft operation was connected to a negative pressure wound therapy machine (or wound vac), forgotten for several hours, and died as a result. In addition to these gross negligences, Palazzo pointed out the failure to discipline responsible staff who committed or attempted to cover up what one witness described as egregious errors: It just sounds like the good old boy network. You know you're either transferred, or you resign and you become a consultant somewhere within the system. There just seemsto be some serious issues with the VA, and I don't just think it's Jackson. I think there's management issues all across the nation, and I hope by bringing attention to this one that we can fix it so no other veterans have to endure the nightmare that they are going through in Jackson. The fact that Mr.Jenkins lost a friend, and thank you for your service as well, you lost a friend, a fellow employee and a veteran because of gross incompetence and people aren't in jail? I'd like to know everyone that was involved inthat. They should have been fired immediately. A full list of the two panels, as well as video exchange from Palazzo's participation, can be found below. Click here or on the picture above for video from today's hearing. Panel 1 Dr. Phyllis Hollenbeck, M.D., FAAFP, Former Physician of Family Medicine, G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center Dr. Charles Sherwood, M.D., Former Chief of Ophthalmology, G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center Erik Hearon, Maj. Gen. (Ret.), United States Air Force Mr. Charles Jenkins, President, American Federation of Government Employees, Local 589 Panel 2 Ms. Rica Lewis-Payton, Network Director of VISN-16, G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center Accompanied By: Dr. Gregg Parker, M.D., Neurologist and Chief Medical Officer of VISN-16, G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center Mr. Joe Battle, Director, G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center ### Congressman Steven Palazzo is a Marine veteran of the Persian Gulf War and still actively serves with the Mississippi Army National Guard. He is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, the Homeland Security Committee, and also serves as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Space on the House Science, Space & Technology Committee. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |