WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today released the following statement on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General report on the Phoenix VA Health Care System Urology Service:

“Yet another Inspector General report has confirmed our worst fears: That veterans were denied care and suffered because of it. From a lack of coordination of non-VA care to a slow response to provider shortages, the Phoenix VA Health Care System has repeatedly failed our veterans.

“The details of this report are absolutely tragic and appalling. No veteran should ever be denied care after he put his life on the line for our country. I expect every person responsible for this tragedy to be held accountable.

“How many reports will it take until we start seeing real change at the VA? Our veterans deserve a commitment from Secretary McDonald and President Obama to make fixing the broken system that allowed these failures to happen in the first place a top priority.”

In its evaluation of the Phoenix VA Health Care System last year, the Inspector General identified several quality of care problems related to patients’ urological care. The follow-up report on the Phoenix VA Health Care System Urology Service, released today, reveals that 45 percent of the urology patients that the Inspector General reviewed experienced delays due to a shortage of providers and lack of coordination with non-VA care. Ten patients experienced significant delays, which may have adversely affected their health.

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The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in the 114th Congress.

Isakson is a veteran himself – having served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966-1972 – and has been a member of the Senate VA Committee since he joined the Senate in 2005. Isakson’s home state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations representing each branch of the military as well as more than 750,000 veterans.