Reid, Heller say ‘growing pains’ at root of new VA hospital’s problems

WASHINGTON — Despite patient complaints about the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in North Las Vegas, Nevada senators on Tuesday attributed problems to “growing pains” and said they are not ready to join the criticism.

“I am not going to denigrate the new VA hospital,” said Democrat Sen. Harry Reid. “There are a lot of things they learned that are not working well,” he said, but “I look at the glass being half-full and not half-empty.”

Said Republican Sen. Dean Heller: “I think they are going to offer a real product there real soon, and I think give them a little more time.”

The $1 billion medical center that opened in August 2012 was touted to provide care to 46,000 retired military who previously received services at clinics around the Las Vegas Valley and a projected 60,000 eventually. But the emergency room already is being expanded at a $16 million cost after agency officials realized during construction it would be too small and lacks an ambulance drop-off ramp.

The House Committee on Veterans Affairs and the VA are investigating allegations that hospital staff mistreated a blind veteran who was writhing in pain while waiting six hours for emergency care in October.

Other patients have come forward to complain about red tape, long waits and bad experiences getting care.

Reid and Heller, speaking following a Nevada congressional delegation meeting, counseled patience.

“It has been a couple of years since it’s been open but I still think they have some growing pains of a new hospital trying to staff up,” Heller said, “The emergency room needs to be fixed and they are working on that now.”

Reid used the same phrase, saying “even though it is a brand new huge hospital it has some growing pains.”

Reid said the “biggest concern” he hears from Nevada veterans is not the hospital but the continuing slow pace of getting disability benefits approved. A report earlier this month by Heller and other members of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs showed the VA’s office in Reno to be the slowest on average at 425 days it takes to process a claim.

Heller and Rep. Dina Titus, the Nevada Democrat who sits on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, have sponsored various bills aimed at reforming the way claims are handled.

“It will take a lot of time and energy,” Heller said of fixing the claims backlog, which is a goal shared by managers at the VA.

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at STetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760. Follow him on Twitter @STetreaultDC.