CULTURE OF CORRUPTION: Whistleblower calls IG report clearing VA of deaths a ‘whitewash’ or cover up.

Attempts by the Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general to absolve the agency of blame in patient deaths are either a whitewash or a cover-up, the whistleblower who first revealed falsified appointment lists in Phoenix said in written testimony released Tuesday.

Dr. Sam Foote, a former doctor at the Phoenix VA facility, also called for an independent investigation into patient deaths and the use of phony appointment lists to hide long delays in care. . . .

“At its best, this report is a whitewash,” Foote said in his written testimony. “At its worst, it is a feeble attempt at a cover-up.”

Foote added the IG’s final report, issued Aug. 26, appears to be “designed to minimize the scandal and protect its perpetrators rather than to provide the truth along with closure to the many veterans and their families that have been affected by it.”

Foote first went to the IG in October 2013 with allegations that hospital administrators in Phoenix were using secret waiting lists to hide long wait times patients faced when seeking care. IG investigators seemed uninterested, he said.

At that time, 10 patients on the list had already died while waiting for appointments, according to Foote. They asked Foote to fax patient information to a phone number that did not work.

The office also did not respond as Foote sent emails asking for further instructions in December.

Government healthcare.