HAMPTON, Va. — Last September, the Hampton Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center came under fire from the Veterans Affairs (VA) Department Office of Inspector General (IG).
The IG found "multiple failures" in the case of a patient with prostate problems and that the center did not inform him of his health status.
More recently, in April, the facility faced criticism from the House Veterans Affairs Committee which in a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough alleged "substandard care" in the facility's Surgical Services Department.
RELATED: Lawmakers blast Hampton VA Medical Center, allege 'gross medical incompetence,' employee reprisals
The same letter contended that there were "credible allegations" of retaliation being "commonplace" against VA employees who report patient safety concerns.
On Monday, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) met with Hampton VA Medical Center Executive Director Taquisa Simmons.
"Yes, I want to dig into these issues, both of the quality of care — you don't have a mistake-free environment, but you ought to be processes in place to minimize mistake — and any issues of retaliation," he said.
Kaine said the whistleblower retaliation allegations were especially concerning because of what he called the "key role" they play.
"Any effort to intimidate or harass them, those of us in leadership positions have to come down on that pretty hard, because this is how we learn things we need to know to do better," he said.
In a statement to 13News Now in May VA Spokesman Terrence Hayes said, "We will not rest until any issues are addressed."
Apart from the controversies, the Hampton VA Medical Center did get high marks for patient satisfaction.
A survey last September found that the facility received four out of five stars from the "Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services'" Annual Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings.