Salt Lake VA Drugs Stolen Over 5 Years For "Fictitious Patients"

Feds probe massive theft of opioids from Salt Lake City’s VA hospital
The Salt Lake Tribune
By MATT CANHAM
First Published Mar 08 2016

A detailed investigation found that over a five-year period, this user stole 25 vials of testosterone, 12,205 pills of controlled opioids and 12,335 noncontrolled tablets of tramadol, a painkiller that the government elevated to a controlled substance in 2014.

(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) The George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Tuesday, March 8, 2016.

Administrators at Salt Lake City's veterans hospital believe a pharmacy supervisor bypassed security and created fictitious patients, some with famous names, as a way to hide the theft of more than 24,000 painkillers and 25 vials of testosterone.

The breach may not have happened, according to Department of Veterans Affairs leaders, if required software had been in place.

A criminal probe by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the V.A.'s Office of Inspector General has now entered its 12th month, and so far no one has been charged, though the main suspect no longer works at the Wahlen Veterans Affairs Medical Center. His pharmacy license expired in September.

The theft case is laid out in incident reports, emails and memos obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune, purportedly compiled by employees of the medical center who are upset by inaction in the case and the response of the medical center's leaders.

Beyond confirming the ongoing criminal investigation, federal law enforcement and officials at the medical center declined to comment Tuesday.

The suspect declined to comment through a lawyer.
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IT VA Contractors Get More Money For Same Thing?

Sometimes there is just no reason to add a lot to a news report. This is one of them Several area contractors to get a piece of VA's $22.3B IT upgrade

"The Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded 21 contractors spots on a $22.3 billion IT modernization contract, the overwhelming majority of which are local companies."

Why not since it worked so well the last time,,,,,,NOT!

"This T4NG award is a follow-on from the previous five-year, $12 billion T4 contract that named 15 vendors in July 2011. Among those companies were a lot of the same names, including Booz, the former SRA (now CSRA) and CACI."

Fort Hood WTU New Commander Was Patient

Read Injured Heroes Broken Promises and then maybe find some hope with this new Commander coming in. After all, he won't just lead it, he lived it.

Former wounded soldier becomes new Warrior Transition Unit commander
Killeen Daily Herald
J Jones
March 9, 2016

Gannaway was medically evacuated from Baghdad, Iraq, after sustaining serious injuries in 2007 while serving as a cavalry troop commander.

Gabe Wolf | Herald Assumption of Command LTC Bruce Gannaway says some remarks after assuming command of the Warrior Transition Unit last Thursday, March 3,2016.

Fort Hood’s Warrior Transition Unit welcomed its newest commander Thursday in an assumption of command ceremony at Abrams Physical Fitness Center.

The WTU is home to Fort Hood’s “wounded, ill and injured” soldiers, helping them as they recover and transition back to the force, or into medical retirement.

Lt. Col. Bruce Gannaway took command of the unit from Lt. Col. Jolanda Walker, who was serving as the WTU interim commander since December. The previous commander was Col. Douglas Woodall, and the unit has downsized recently.

“This morning I stand before you thrilled and privileged to be a part of the Fort Hood community, but at the same time humbled to be reminded of all those who helped me through to this point in my career,” Gannaway said. “Whatever I’ve done to reach this point in my career is a mere testament to the soldiers, leaders and Army civilians who took time to coach, teach and mentor me.”
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Posthumous Silver Star For Capt. Matthew D. Roland

Airman who died in Afghanistan will posthumously receive Silver Star
Air Force Times
Oriana Pawlyk
March 7, 2016

A special operations airman who died in Afghanistan this summer will posthumously receive the third-highest military combat decoration.

Capt. Matthew D. Roland will posthumously receive the Silver Star Air Force

Secretary Deborah Lee James announced March 7. (Photo: Air Force)

Capt. Matthew D. Roland, 27, and Staff Sgt. Forrest B. Sibley, 31, were honored by Secretary Deborah Lee James at a state of the Air Force briefing Monday.

Roland and Sibley were killed in August after two men wearing Afghan security forces uniforms opened fire at a vehicle checkpoint at Camp Antonik, a forward operating base in Helmand Province.

"In their combined 12 years of service, Matt and Forrest deployed seven times. In addition to the Purple Hearts, Forrest earned five Bronze Stars, including one for Valor, and very, very soon, we will posthumously honor Matt's heroism with the Silver Star," James said.
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Texas Community Steps Up For Homeless Navy Veteran and Cat

A man and his cat: Community steps up to help Navy vet, Cheech
Weatherford Democrat
By Sally Sexton
March 7, 2016

“In just one week, awesome people [who share the same Roo Heart] have chipped in and worked with me so that Pat will no longer be homeless,” Hollis said.

For the last several months, Navy veteran Pat Nolan and his feline companion had called a parking lot their home.

But earlier this week, that all changed when the community stepped up to help the two find more suitable and permanent housing.

Nolan, 63, and Cheech moved to Texas from Seattle almost five years ago and, after losing everything following a job venture gone wrong, the duo have been living out of Nolan’s truck in the Walmart parking lot.

“I’ve had nothing but bad luck since I’ve been in Texas,” Nolan said. “I’ve had several jobs down here but none of them have worked out, and once you get kicked out [of a living facility] there’s no place to go.”

That all changed on Friday, when Nolan was presented with a used but clean travel trailer, purchased through donations.

Back in December, Nolan had a chance encounter in the parking lot of Walmart with Annie Hollis, a Weatherford Noon Lion Club member who was ringing the bell outside for Salvation Army.
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