VA officials had no immediate comment Wednesday.
The National Nurses United represents 900 registered nurses in Atlanta, 560 nurses in Augusta, and 185 nurses in Tuscaloosa.
At the same time, a watchdog with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is investigating allegations at the psychiatric unit at the Atlanta VA Medical Center. The unit, which cares for some of VAâs most vulnerable veterans, is allegedly plagued by filth and has disregarded COVID-19 protocols throughout the pandemic.
The investigation was prompted after one of the employees filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel this spring. The special counselâs office found âa substantial likelihood of wrongdoingâ based on the information and referred the matter to the VA secretaryâs office for further investigation, according to a July 5 letter by an attorney in the special counselâs office.
The hospital issued a statement to the AJC confirming that it is conducting its own internal review.
âWe welcome all external reviews when assessing ways to improve care for our Veterans,â Smith, the hospital spokesman, wrote in an email statement. âWe are committed to addressing any opportunities for improvement.â
The protest is scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday in front of the Atlanta VA Medical Center in Decatur.
AJC reporter Jeremy Redmon contributed to this report.
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