U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin has called on Department of Veterans Affairs to launch immediate investigations

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) has called on Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and the VA Office of the Inspector General to launch immediate investigations into alarming allegations of patient neglect, abuse, and severe staffing shortages at the Tomah VA Medical Center.

The Senator's action follows reports from frontline Tomah VA employees describing widespread lapses in patient care. Staff reported that critical understaffing and management issues have contributed to patient falls, pressure injuries, food choking incidents, missed patient checks, and delays in medication delivery. The disclosures highlighted particularly troubling conditions within the hospice care unit, where terminally ill veterans faced delays in obtaining necessary end-of-life medication.

The demands for scrutiny follow criminal charges brought against a former Tomah VA nurse who allegedly intentionally withheld oxygen from a veteran receiving hospice care, leading to the patient's death. Senator Baldwin requested a full accounting from the VA regarding its response to the incident, including when leadership learned of the alleged abuse and what corrective steps were implemented.

In her communication to Secretary Collins, Senator Baldwin urged immediate action from the Veterans Health Administration and Veterans Integrated Service Network to evaluate staffing, provider vacancies, and leadership practices, independent of local facility leadership. Baldwin also called for explicit protections for whistleblowers, insisting on zero tolerance for retaliation against employees who report unsafe conditions. Refinement and accountability, Baldwin noted, are essential to maintain trust and protect the safety and dignity of veterans receiving care.