NY Times’ Article Reveals Medical Care for Military is More Than a VA Problem

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A recent NY Times’ investigation concerning healthcare provided to military personnel and their families revealed an appalling level of medical errors with little to no effort to fix the issues that lead to the mistakes in the first place. According to the Times, “Internal documents obtained by The Times depict a system in which scrutiny is sporadic and avoidable errors are chronic.
As in the Zeppa case, records indicate that the mandated safety investigations often go undone: From 2011 to 2013, medical workers reported 239 unexpected deaths, but only 100 inquiries were forwarded to the Pentagon’s patient-safety center, where analysts recommend how to improve care. Cases involving permanent harm often remained unexamined as well.
At the same time, by several measures considered crucial barometers of patient safety, the military system has consistently had higher than expected rates of harm and complications in two central parts of its business — maternity care and surgery.” Our military and their families deserve better than this.

Holly Haines
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