Federal officials investigate VA Connecticut hiring practices

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel is investigating allegations of illegal employment practices at VA Connecticut Healthcare System connected to the hiring of seven employees—some in top management positions—who are all former co-workers of the system’s director.

A separate complaint filed by a whistleblower to the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs alleges “gross misconduct” in the hiring of staff from the Manchester (New Hampshire) VA Medical Center. It says that “all management positions were pre-selected.”

“VA Connecticut is in turmoil,” wrote the whistleblower in an anonymous complaint filed in August and obtained by C-HIT.

The complaints have put a spotlight on the management of Alfred A. Montoya Jr., who has been head of the West Haven VA for almost a year. Montoya was brought in from the Manchester (New Hampshire) VA Medical Center after years of upheaval in the delivery of health care at the West Haven VA, where surgeries were outsourced to Yale New Haven Hospital after deficiencies were found in sterile procedures.

The charges contend that hiring people who worked in Manchester with Montoya denied VA Connecticut staff advancement opportunities.

The Manchester VA is a low-tier outpatient facility with four offsite clinics. VA Connecticut is a top-tier system, rated a 1A facility that operates a hospital in West Haven, an outpatient center in Newington, and six local clinics.

A request to interview Montoya was denied by VA communications staff for the New England region and in Washington, according to Pamela Redmond, VA Connecticut spokesman. She issued a statement without having questions from a C-HIT reporter.

It states that “VA Connecticut strives to fill positions with the most qualified candidates while adhering to all federal hiring guidelines.”

“We recognize and respect our talented pool of employees and offer many paths for advancement, including leadership programs, scholarship opportunities and mentorships,” it adds.

This story was reported under a partnership with the Connecticut Health I-Team (c-hit.org), a nonprofit news organization dedicated to health reporting.