VA hospitals installing safety features after suicides

Since 2018, 49 veterans have killed themselves on the grounds of VA medical facilities


Since 2018, 49 veterans have died by suicide on the grounds of Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities and the VA is still working on installing safety features, according to an article on the Connecting Vets website.

Last year, multiple watchdog reports revealed VA failings may have contributed to some of those deaths. 

In West Palm Beach, Fla., investigators found that failures to follow VA’s own standards could have led to a patient’s death or risked the safety of other veterans, the article said. 

A veteran at the VA there died by suicide inside a locked mental health unit. Cameras at the hospital hadn’t worked for at least three years and safety alarms weren’t installed. 

Read the article.



February 10, 2020


Topic Area: Security


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