Veterans Affairs

A 32-year-old military veteran, Travis Decker, is wanted for allegedly killing his three young daughters outside of Wenatchee in central Washington last month. Since their deaths, people close to him have raised questions about whether he had adequate mental health care for his diagnosed borderline personality disorder, and for what some speculate could also have been PTSD.

A staffer for the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System has alleged retaliation after he spoke out about the deteriorating conditions of a building on the south Seattle campus that housed specialty clinics and office space. Douglas Galuszka, chief of logistics, was issued two suspensions totaling three weeks of unpaid leave this year. He said VA administrators punished him for calling attention to leadership failures at the hospital and talking with press. According to Galuszka, the two suspensions he served mark the only discipline he has received in his seven years working for the VA. Prior to the suspensions, Galuszka said, he was not counseled by a supervisor or required to go through training.

by Lauren Gallup& Lizz Giordano The Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System shut the doors to its South Clinic, less than three weeks after staff…

A loud whoosh brought Cortez Hopkins out of his office. Two ceiling tiles had crashed down where moments before a staffer had sat packing up records. Water trickled down as Hopkins snapped pictures of the damage. Hopkins and others were working overtime in the logistics office of the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System campus in South Seattle as nearly an inch of rain dumped on the region that Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023.

It was a challenging summer at Washington’s state-run homes for veterans. Two of the four homes experienced widespread COVID-19 outbreaks. Four veterans died. Now the homes are bracing for another challenge: the potential for a staffing shortage as the governor’s vaccine mandate kicks in.

The lawmakers have been using the offices to meet with veterans. At least one believes the eviction is payback for his tough questioning of VA Secretary Robert Wilkie in April.