INDIANAPOLIS — Despite knowing for at least two months about an internal e-mail that appears to mock veteran suicides, administrators at Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center never investigated, fired or demoted the manager who sent it — and now some members of Congress are demanding action.
“This inappropriate e-mail needs to be taken very seriously,” said U.S. Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind. “An immediate independent investigation should occur to determine proper disciplinary action.”
Others called on the VA to fire the manager who sent the e-mail, echoing previous demands from veterans groups such as the American Legion.
“I don’t understand how keeping this individual on VA’s payroll will bring accountability to a department mired in scandal and negligence,” said U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “Her continued employment only lowers Americans’ confidence in the ability of the VA to provide medical care to service members, both past and present. I hope that leadership within Roudebush grasps the fact that supporting veterans and their families must be their top priority, not saving a disgraced employee.”
The e-mail, first disclosed Monday in The Indianapolis Star, includes photographs of a toy Christmas elf posing as one of the hospital’s patients, pleading for anxiety medication and hanging itself with an electrical cord.
The e-mail’s sender, Robin Paul, manages the hospital’s seamless transition clinic, which provides mental health and readjustment services for returning veterans. She has apologized for the e-mail but continues to manage the clinic at a salary of nearly $80,000 a year.
Hospital spokeswoman Julie Webb has said the issue was “administratively addressed” but has provided no further details. She said there was no investigation of the incident.
That response didn’t sit well with members of the Indiana congressional delegation.
“With as many as 22 veterans committing suicide every day, there is absolutely no excuse for making light of this tragic situation, most especially when you are a public employee responsible for the care of our nation’s military heroes,” said U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks, R-Ind. “Roudebush leadership must take appropriate action to demonstrate this type of behavior is not acceptable under any circumstances.”
The VA is already reeling from a scandal last year, when hospitals and clinics across the country were discovered to have manipulated data to downplay long patient wait times. It’s also trying to combat a scourge of veteran suicides. One VA study found that 22 veterans take their own life every day.
“I was very angry when I learned about this e-mail,” said U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind. “One of the most critical hurdles to improving mental health care for service members and veterans is overcoming the stigma attached with seeking help.”
The Dec. 18 e-mail was sent to the hospital’s Seamless Transition Integrated Care Clinic team with the subject, “Naughty Elf in the STICC clinic.”
“So, photos have appeared that indicate that the STICC clinic may have been invaded,” the e-mail says. “Looks like this magical character made his way through a few areas.”
One photo depicts the elf peering between the legs of a female doll. “Trying his skills as a primary care provider (doing a pap),” the e-mail says.
Another shows the elf next to a sticky note with the words, “Out of XANAX — please help!” A caption says, “Self-medicating for mental health issues when a CNS would not give him his requested script.”
A third photograph shows the elf hanging from a strand of Christmas lights. “Caught in the act of suicidal behavior (trying to hang himself from an electrical cord),” the e-mail says.
It is unclear from the e-mail whether other VA employees were involved in the joke, but a note visible in one photo appears to include directions about passing the elf to others.
Neither Webb, the Roudebush spokeswoman, nor the VA’s national office returned phone calls or e-mails from The Star on Monday.
Paul’s voice mail said she was out of the office Monday and would be working “off campus” Tuesday.
Provided to WTCA by Congresswoman Walorski’s office. Tony Cook, The Indianapolis Star 12:21 a.m. EDT March 10, 2015
