Feds call out Northern Arizona VA for 2nd time for unsafe work conditions

For the second time in less than five years, federal investigators found the Northern Arizona VA Health System failed to protect its employees from patient violence.

The report by investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, stemmed from an encounter involving a newly admitted patient in a locked dementia unit at the Bob Stump VA Medical Center in Prescott, a federal notice said.

The federal notice on the investigation, which officials said was completed last week, labeled the case "repeat" and "serious."

In 2019, federal investigators also found the Northern Arizona Health VA Health System to have unsafe and unhealthful working conditions. In that case, a nurse told The Arizona Republic that she was sucker-punched by a patient and left with ongoing medical problems.

OSHA officials say they received a complaint in December about the most recent incident, which involved a resident who was "aggressive and violent" toward staff members, including registered nurses, certified nursing assistants and housekeeping staff. The patient's actions included, but were not limited to, throwing items, pulling, pushing, punching, slapping, biting, kicking and sexual harassment, the report said.

"This resulted in workplace hazards that were likely to cause serious physical harm," the federal report said.

In response to the federal findings, a spokesperson for the Northern Arizona VA Health System provided an emailed statement that said health system officials appreciate the oversight from OSHA and "are constantly working to provide the safest environment possible for the dedicated employees who care for Veterans at the Bob Stump VA Medical Center."

Workplace violence is a "known hazard" when caring for patients with conditions like advanced dementia, the statement said, and the VA "makes every effort to mitigate risks to our staff."

The statement went on to say the Northern Arizona VA Health Care System has a robust workplace violence prevention program and "is committed to ensuring that we learn from these events and institute additional safety improvements."

Federal regulations require employers to provide a workplace free of hazards that are causing or are likely to cause employees to suffer serious physical harm or worse, OSHA officials said. But federal agencies are generally exempt from OSHA penalties. Instead they are issued notices of unsafe and unhealthful working conditions and are required to show they have made safety improvements.

"Had the facility been a private sector employer, the agency could have assessed penalties up to $161,323," a Department of Labor news release said.

“Healthcare industry workers encounter workplace violence up to four times more often than people employed in private industry,” Phoenix Area OSHA Director Zachary Barnett said in a news statement.

“The failure of the Bob Stump VA Medical Center to prevent the same dangers that existed in 2019 is troubling. The facility’s management must take immediate action to better protect its employees from workplace violence before someone is seriously hurt or even killed in an incident that they could have prevented.”

Reach health care reporter Stephanie Innes at stephanie.innes@gannett.com or at 480-313-3775. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @stephanieinnes.