Despite E-mails, VA Boss Denies Cover Up

(CBS)  CBS News investigative producer Pia Malbran wrote this story for CBSNews.com.

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The head of health care at the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) denied any wrong doing by the agency on Thursday as more internal emails surfaced showing VA officials discussed withholding suicide information from the public.

While on the stand in California federal court, where the VA is facing a lawsuit filed by veteran advocates who are demanding better health care, Dr. Michael Kussman, the VA's Under Secretary for Health, said, "I disagree with the premise that there was some effort to cover up something."

On March 10 of this year, Everett Chasen, the chief communications officer for the VA's Veterans Health Administration (VHA) sent an e-mail message to several top agency officials including Kussman. At the time, CBS News was preparing a report about attempted suicides among VA patients. Chasen wrote, "I don't want to give CBS any more numbers on veteran suicides or attempts than they already have - it will only lead to more questions."

In response, Kussman said he did not "recall" the message. He said, "Obviously I'm [copied] on the e-mail but I get [copied] on a huge number of e-mails everyday."

In another e-mail - dated December 15, 2007 - Dr. Ira Katz, who oversees mental health at the VA, informed Kussman that "there are 18 suicides per day" among all vets and "4-5 suicides per day" among those being treated by the VA. When asked by lawyers in court if these figures raised any concerns, Kussman said, "Any suicide is cause for concern." However, despite repeated requests by media and members of Congress, the VA has never made these figures publicly known.

Two other e-mails presented in court on Thursday show VA officials calling a CBS News investigative report on veteran suicides "defensible" with a methodology that "appears to be correct."

CBS News spent five months compiling nationwide suicide data based on state death records after the VA said they did not collect this kind of information. The report was broadcast last November and heavily criticized by VA officials.

Kussman was asked if the VA ever told Congressman Steve Buyer, R-Ind, who questioned the accuracy of the CBS News report, that the report was "defensible." Kussman said, "I don't know if that was specifically communicated to the congressman."

By Pia Malbran

[radiob-2009]

this is code of conduct for the media What a joke and there integrity is damaged tremendously and every American that reads a newspaper or watch tv news or listen to the news on the Radio should wonder are they telling the truth?


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Posted by starleo14672


If the media did its job then we would not be in Iraq, would not have NAFTA and alot of other problems.

[starleo146]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/25/cbsnews_investigates/main4044399.shtml

[tibu987]

It is time for a complete overhaul of the VA.
From the lackadaisical employees who seem to have time for everything except taking care of the vets.
From the top, the decision makers who decide that a vet who has lost a quarter of his brain and head and is given only a 10% disability.
And, for the VA hospitals that have a higher death and MRSA rate than all other hospitals.
Etc., etc., etc.

Our vets deserve nothing less than the very best care that this Country can give, NOTHING less.
And, it is our duty as appreciative Americans to see that our vets get the very best of everything.
Write the President, your senator, your congressman and tell them.
I do.

[bookwerm314]

Can''t wait until ANY new prez gets in.. we can clean the sewage out of the government that Bush sucked in! Mein Gott they suck. Layers and layers.. FAA treats the airlines as their CUSTOMER! No, not their WATCHDOG.. they don''t work for US . no sirre bob.. not in the BUSH world.. sure, what are a few crashes and risky things between golfing buds? Huh?

[macusweil]

"Wow. But pleeeze tell me his is patriotic and
wears his flag lapel pin. That would make everything ok."

Bet he also puts his hand over heart during both the pledge AND the national anthem, plus has whack-a-doodle magnetic yellow ribbon on his SUV!!

[macusweil]

GOP standard operating procedure: when caught red handed deny everything, public will soon forget whole thing anyway. Our Vets pay the price, twice.

[starleo146]

The use of these analysts was a glaring violation of journalistic standards. As the code of ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists explains, journalists are supposed to:

* Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.

* Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility.

* Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement,

public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.

* Disclose unavoidable conflicts.

this is code of conduct for the media What a joke and there integrity is damaged tremendously and every American that reads a newspaper or watch tv news or listen to the news on the Radio should wonder are they telling the truth?

[starleo146]

Make the news media talk about this, make it known who is involved with this cover up, and why, did they feel we the people should should be kept in the dark,and Why. War is the last thing we should contemplate,Lies, Lies, and we knew the Bush administration lied, but the news , we cannot believe them either.No wonder they let all the reporters ride with the troops to Iraq.Pay off maybe?

[starleo146]

Thank you for your post ToolMangler we use to have investigators as you stated now what ever the pay off is to keep quiet is the News of today, disgusting and should not go blindly into the night, All should be held accountable. Especially Rumsfelds right arm and mouthpiece who we have still listen to Victoria Clarke

[toolmangler-2009]

She may have changed jobs and employers since leaving the Pentagon, but her work remains the same.

Posted by starleo14672 at 04:07 PM : Apr 25, 2008


Edward R. Murrow was one of the last journalists to tell it like it is. Most of the others like their "phoney-Balogney" jobs and are scared to buck the system, Murrow put integrity ahead of politics