CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — A report from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General paints a grim picture of the operations and culture inside the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg.
The issues range from cleanliness, communication, retention, and management of supplies and procedures.
During a walkthrough in October 2024, inspectors identified patient care areas with serious hygiene issues that included spider webs, dead insects, and at the main entrance and ambulance bay insect traps containing pests were found.
Inspectors found clean and dirty medical equipment was being stored in the same area if the ambulance bay. The practice violates government regulation designed to prevent the spread of infections and disease. It was also noted the facility was using cardboard backboards, that are known to harbor moisture and bacteria.
The inspection also revealed the policy for the notification of urgent, noncritical test results was not consistent with national DVHA directives.
Discovered in the inspection was the loss of about $150,000 in medical supplies because they were not stored in a controlled environment, the report said.
More recently, a failure in temperature and humidity controls in the surgical services department led to the loss of approximately $150,000 in medical supplies.
Leadership at the facility also said they were experiencing lasting stress within the staff following murders that were committed by a former employee a few years ago.
Staffing is growing challenge despite that wait times are generally low and wait time for new appointments average from three to six days. Vacancies jumped to 16 last year and remain at that level.
The homeless veteran programs fell short in employment programs in the Veterans Justice Program, but met standards relating to placing veterans in permanent homes using vouchers. The small local veteran population was cited as the reason employment numbers were not met.
Federal inspectors will continue to monitor operations at the facility in order to track improvements.