Minneapolis VA faulted after Vietnam vet's suicide

Minneapolis VA faulted after Vietnam vet's suicide
Tuesday, August 28, 2012


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minneapolis Veterans Medical Center was "deficient" in its handling of a suicidal Vietnam War veteran who killed himself while under the agency's care, according to a recent report by the national Veterans Administration office.

The one-time Marine had survived a recent suicide attempt, and mental health staff warned that he might attempt suicide again. But the hospital failed to follow up, according to the report from the VA Inspector General's office.

"While we cannot say whether implementation of (recommended) measures would have changed the outcome of this case, the facility nonetheless did not adhere to (VA) guidelines on managing this patient at high risk of suicide," the report said.

Ralph Heussner, a spokesman for the Minneapolis VA, said the hospital has since improved communication between departments about high-risk patients and updated its suicide-prevention training and policies.

"Every veteran's suicide is a tragedy and we appreciate the review of this incident," Heussner said. "We will use this information to improve our system of flagging potential risks."
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