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Ex-VA official: Residents of veterans homes 'left behind' during pandemic
Link to tweet
Ex-VA official: Residents of veterans homes ‘left behind’ during pandemic
https://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/ex-va-official-residents-of-veterans-homes-left-behind-during-pandemic-1.640921
WASHINGTON — When Linda Schwartz first heard about coronavirus outbreaks killing residents of veterans homes in multiple states, she wanted to dig more deeply.
Schwartz was the longtime commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs. She served as an assistant secretary of the VA under former President Barack Obama, leading the VA’s policy and planning initiatives. She’s also a Vietnam War veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force for nearly 20 years, retiring in 1986 after she was injured in an aircraft accident.
When she watched the news this spring about veterans dying alone in nursing homes, Schwartz saw herself and her family.
“For many Vietnam War veterans, it was like we were back in Vietnam again and the same thing is happening — we’re being left behind,” Schwartz said.
Under the direction of Vietnam Veterans of America, she assembled a committee to investigate what had gone wrong. What they found was startling: a lack of transparency about the number of coronavirus deaths at veterans homes, and a VA leadership team that shirked responsibility for the facilities.
*snip*
