US. House of Representatives: Sanuary 30, 2015, ‘The Honorable Richard J. Griffin Deputy Inspector General United States Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (50) 810 Vermont Avenue, NW ‘Washington, DC 20420 Dear Deputy Inspector General Griffin, | am writing to refer an ise to you for immediate investigation. The House Committee on Veterans” Affairs (Comittee) has conducted a years’ long investigation tat, in 2014, revealed 2 scandal involving wait time manipulations and the use of secret wait ists” at numerous Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs). The Office of Inspector General (OIG) has conducted an investigation of these original allegations and the Commitee has held ‘several hearings on this topie. The VA has purported to have remedied the situation by issuing ‘new polices, Directives and guidance so that all employees are aware of how veteran patients ‘are tobe scheduled for appointments. However, in spite of all this, the “seret wat lists” stil persist within the VAMCS. Specifically, the Committee has become aware that this proctie continues within the VAMC in Denver, Colorado, This is in addition tothe reports we have received regarding the VAMC’s in ‘Albuquerque and West Los Angeles as is noted inthe letter from Chairman Miller to Seeretary ‘MeDonald, dated January 28, 2015. Ina statement released on January 28,2015, VA stated that when they were informed of the allegations atthe Denver VAMC an iramediate internal investigation was conducted of all, Clinial areas and it revealed no “secret wait ists."" Moreover, the VISN 19 Network Director also conducted an independent investigation which found no evidence of inappropriate Scheduling or wait lists inthe various clnis. It should be noted that the VISN 19 Network Director was admonished in July 2014 for inappropriate ections related to patient scheduling, record manipulation, appointment delays, andr patient deaths. | think itis questionable at best that we would take the Network Director's word that there are no “secret wait ists” a the Denver VAMC. Ina statement issued Thursday, January 9, 2015, the day after VA's initia press release on ths matter, VA did acknowledge that their employees "broke the rules by using & improper wait fist inthe slep lb in 2012." Therefore, I call on the OIG to immediately investigate the allegations‘of continued wait time delays atthe VA Eastern Colorado Heath Care System in Denver, Colorado, Ifyou have any questions, please contact Mr. Eric Hannel, Majority Staff Director ofthe ‘Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigation, at (202) 225-3569, Tice Chairman ‘Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations chee