MARION - A former Green Beret, who was employed for four years as a clerk with the Maintenance and Operations Division of the Environment of Care Department at the VA Medical Center in Marion, said the spike in patient deaths there is a horrendous concern, but not the only one.

"We former and current employees thought this was a good time to bring forward other problems at the facility that have existed for a considerable period of time," said Pete May of rural Vienna, a 56-year-old former Army master sergeant who was forced to retire his position at the hospital in 2004 for health reasons.

"Over the years, there have been many attempts made to approach and resolve these problems, but to no avail," May said. "Union grievances, Inspector General complaints and EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) suits have either been stifled at the facility level, or at VISN 15, the division headquarters in Kansas that has authority over Marion."

The problems run deep

May alleged there has been long-term systematic harassment and persecution of employees in the facility's engineering or Environment of Care Department headed up by Director Michael Reed and Supervisor of Maintenance and Operations David Halm.

May added that there have been violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as sexual harassment, age and gender discrimination. He said the suspended VA director of operations, Robert Morrel, was acutely aware of such violations.

"Mr. Reed and Mr. Halm need to be relieved of any and all responsibilities and separated from employment at the facility if that department is ever going to be cleaned up; operate competently within federal regulations, laws and guidelines; and fulfill the department's primary responsibility - the proper physical operations and maintenance of the facility on a daily basis," May said.

Marion VA Medical Center spokeswoman Rebecca Shinneman said agency leaders have requested that The National Center for Organizational Development, an independent VA program, work with the Environment of Care employees regarding working conditions and organizational culture.

"NCOD is scheduled to be on site this week to begin meeting with employees," Shinneman said. "This program performs an impartial review, meets with all employees within Environment of Care and union members individually and in groups to identify concerns.

"We are investigating and evaluating. The final goal for everyone is for a safe, productive, and respectful environment for all our employees," Shinneman said. "We receive many compliments from patients and visitors about cleanliness, appearance and our grounds. This is due to the dedicated and caring engineering, housekeeping, grounds and environment of care staff."

'Troubling' investigation

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, said Monday that the ongoing investigation into the VA Medical Center in Marion is "one of the most troubling" issues he's ever encountered in all his years as a government servant.

"People have died because of mistakes that have been made," he said. "There are a lot of broken hearts over these deaths, many of which could have been avoided."

Durbin said he has developed a solid rapport with Gordon Mansfield, the acting secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, and is confident Mansfield will take appropriate steps to clear up the problems pending the outcome of the investigation performed by the Office of the Inspector General.

"He wants to know the truth," Durbin said. "And he knows the whole story's not out. He's assured me that any current employee who speaks out publicly about the VA will be protected. And I will stand by them, too. Three or four people have contacted my office directly and told us some troubling stories, but they're afraid to say too much for fear of getting fired."

Durbin said one of the most recent claims is that certain VA department heads ordered patient records changed or destroyed at Marion in an effort cover up mistakes.

"If those allegations are correct, we're talking criminal charges," the senator said.

john.homan@thesouthern.com / 351-5805