VA Connecticut Hiring Practices Under Investigation

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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.

Melanie Stengel Photo.

Sandra Salmon, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 2138, filed the Special Counsel complaint.

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.

Sandra Salmon, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 2138, filed the Special Counsel complaint on behalf of the union, alleging Connecticut VA leaders acted illegally by obstructing competition for jobs, giving unauthorized preference or advantage, and encouraging withdrawal from the application process.

“It appears that only those level 3 hospital staff was good enough to work here at VA CT,” Salmon said. The union local represents more than 820 employees, predominantly nurses, as well as physician assistants, social workers, audiologists, psychologists, and biomedical engineers.

“If you love the VA at all, you have to do something,” said Salmon, who is representing the union. “There’s a lot of unfairness at every level,” she said.

The Special Counsel’s office responded to Salmon in an August 17 letter that the complaint “may be allegations of possible prohibited personnel practice” and that a staff member was assigned to the matter.

In April, Montoya hired Bernadette Y. Jao, a doctor of nursing practice, as associate director for nursing and patient care services, the same job she had in Manchester. The senior management position is part of the VA Connecticut five-person leadership team.

A new position of deputy associate director under Jao was created and filled by Susan Trimboli. She is also from the Manchester VA.

Two chief nurses were hired from Manchester: Shauna D’Allev, chief nurse for surgery, and Eustacia Chaisson, chief nurse for sterile processing, infection prevention, and non-critical reusable medical equipment.

Andrea Macomber was brought from Manchester to be case management manager in a direct hire, meaning the job wasn’t posted. She also worked with Montoya when he was director of the White River Junction VA in Vermont.

Montoya hired his former assistant in Manchester, Corey Beem, to be a health system specialist in his office. He hasn’t started yet.

A second traveling veterans coordinator position was added and filled by Edwin Jao, a former Manchester VA employee who is married to the associate director.

Jacqueline Fonseca-Ramos, who worked for U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, filled a new position, congressional aide. The job was never posted.

A chief nurse for mental health, Sylvia Simeone, was hired from the Northport VA in Long Island, where she previously worked with Bernadette Jao, according to Salmon, the union president.

Union Grievance, Lack Of Diversity In Hiring

A union grievance filed by a registered nurse claims that the direct hires of the case management manager and veteran travel coordinator were a “violation of prohibited personnel practice and upward mobility.” The grievance states that direct hire customarily is used in “hard to recruit positions” and only after being posted twice.

“Positions are not posted, and employees are not given the chance to apply and improve their career prospects for the most lucrative positions,” the grievance says.

Meanwhile, the union filed an employment discrimination complaint this month with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on behalf of minority nurses, citing a lack of racial diversity in VA Connecticut management.

VA statistics show 41% of employees are people of color and 22% are Black. There are no Black executives, according to the union’s employment discrimination complaint. There are more than 3,300 VA Connecticut employees.

Most of the hires from the Manchester facility are white, except for Bernadette and Edwin Jao, who are Filipino, and Montoya, who is Latino.

Salmon said the typical six-figure management salaries are incentives for people to remain in their jobs for many years.

“Systemic racism will be entrenched for years to come at VA CT,” she said.

Montoya established a diversity council in July to help “every employee reach their full potential in an environment free of bias,” according to an employee newsletter.

Redmond, the VA spokeswoman, said VA Connecticut continues to work to improve its surgical facilities. She said $17 million has been approved for a sterile processing facility for surgical instruments, which is in the design phase; a new HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) system for the operating room suite and a still-unfunded addition that would include a new surgery department are planned.

 

7 thoughts on “VA Connecticut Hiring Practices Under Investigation

  1. It’s not just the medical staff. This affects every department in the West Haven VA.

    Their police department constantly has officers leaving. Especially the ones who actually know what they are doing. Maybe they should look at the police chief and how he got that position. You would think they would want someone with an actual police background to run a police force. How can you lead a department if you have never done the job. I guess that’s one of the reasons that department is such a mess. He refuses to promote or fill vacant positions. They should look into how many reports have piled up without being investigated and how he has his officers perform their job. I’m sure it wouldn’t be long before they found policies and practices that anyone with an actual law enforcement background would never do themselves let alone make the men and women they are leading perform.

    Every department should have an employee and work practices/quality audit. I’m sure they will uncover all kinds of unethical work being performed and unqualified people at the top giving the orders and making the policies.

  2. There is major gross misconduct throughout the VA in West Haven. Police department who have 95% of veterans and still serving, whom have law enforcement backgrounds. Yet, the chief selected has no of the above, who brought to VA by his retired uncle, David Salthouse was a security guard at Fairfield university. His wife with no masters degree is now managing (Amanda Salthouse) fisher house, which was reposted to fit get qualifications.

    Fiscal service the amount of nepotism, bullying, harrasment, intimidation and denying to help this with a medical disability, Reasonable Accommodations were completely denied even after meeting with EEOC. Doctors couldn’t explain the need any clearer and Acting CFO/ Acting DCFO are going against that medical advice
    Not to mention the corruption Acting CFO covers up in Budget and employee travel.
    Promising their favorite staff and friends promotions and creating jobs to fit those individuals’ resumes. Referring to staff as idiots,morals, f… B
    Me.Montoya, Paula Webb, John Callahan and Ross Hildohren (mispelled) he’s the assistant dire for for Newington.
    Many email have been shared with the above leadership, meetings, etc, everything as been pushed to the side or pass the buck.
    I myself have a legal case pending.

  3. There’s so many departments that have bad management that was just given positions that they don’t deserve. Look at the Business Office, Jessica ONeal is in the position as Chief and acting Business Office Manager but she has no clue as to what she’s doing. She also seems racist and sadly the majority of her employees are minority. I’m friends with an employee that knows of a situation where she falsely lied on an employees evaluation stating that supervisor didn’t have proof of any errors but she never asked the supervisor she did it to help the employee get a better job. Some say it’s because the supervisor is black and although she’s a minority the employee acted white. Others believe she just doesn’t like that supervisor. So in my opinion there’s not enough qualified people in leadership but especially not enough minority leaders. David Salthouse is the biggest racist that ever walked the halls of the medical center. He allows his white police officers to exhibit racist ways. Most of them although they are veterans and may have some sort of law enforcement background shouldn’t be police at the medical center because they don’t do their jobs. The VACT medical center needs to be cleaned from the top down, everyone in a leadership, management position of any kind needs to be questioned and let go if they’re not qualified to do their job. Qualified means they know every aspect of every position under them instead of just dictating and taking credit for what they didn’t do.

  4. I’m looking into applying for the VA police department and I noticed there are 15 vacancies. Should I still apply for this position or is 15 vacancies because the department is so inept?

  5. Rosa DeLauro, AG, Public Health, Blumethal have all heard from me in regards to the VAMC in West Haven and everyon appears to be on the side of the VAMC when they know what they are doing is incorrect. In July of 2020, I was granted back pay by VBA. The paperwork was submitted in shortly after I received my letter and it is now 2021 going on 2022 and nobody has answered to why I have not received my payment. Patient Advocate is a waste of time because they boss is a VA employee. They should name Patient Advocate, VA employee advocate because they don’t monitor they work they have, just push the paperwork through and whatever is said, they run with it. 2016, April 16, I was assaulted by four officials there and nobody has been held accountable and put in to the hospital for about a week. Nobody has been held accountable. This VAMC needs to be torn down, all new employees, and procedures, policies, protocols put in place and adhered too by all those who work there and stop the favoritism amongst employees and the veterans. It is time for a new VA system in West Haven,CT

  6. The hiring practices of VA San Francisco nurse executives in reviewing of Vetpro should also be in question. Rather than going by most recent Vetpro information, VA San Francisco nurse executives are going back many years. Since errors previously entered into Vetpro cannot be removed, San Francisco Nurse executives are making decisions based on erroneous information and rescinding official job offers already made. Job offers that involved the candidate to spent thousands of dollars in relocating and leasing new living residences and all the responsibilities that go along with moving only to have their “firm” job offer rescinded at the last moment. Rather than extending courtesy or respect to the hired individual by asking about any questions they might have regarding past Vetpro information which could be resolved by a simple conversation, the San Francisco nurse executives rescinded official job offer. San Francisco is unethical and inhumane as to this practice.

  7. Housekeeping supervisors are a joke just because your a veteran doesn’t make you a leader. Answer a couple questions that have nothing to do with leadership.does not make you all of a sudden a leader. Or hiring a group leader that has never cleaned a discharged patient room. Staff is leaving .I heard from a housekeeper that there talk about a money insensitive.to not leave must stay for 6 months.alot of people leave because of the disrespect from the nurses