Sen. Brown Proposes Amendment to Require VA to Release Secret Nursing Home Quality Data Ahead of Meeting With VA Secretary Nominee

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- The office of Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, issued the following news release:

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today joined a group of Senators in filing an amendment that would require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit an annual report to Congress on the ratings given to VA-run nursing homes. Brown proposed the amendment to H.R. 5895, the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, Military Construction, and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill that is currently being considered on the Senate floor. The Senator's amendment follows a story published in USA Today this week, which showed that the VA nursing facilities in Ohio have only received one- and two- star ratings on a scale of 5.

Brown will also meet today with President Trump's nominee to serve as Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Robert Wilkie. Brown will press him on Wilkie on greater transparency and solutions to improve care at VA nursing homes.

"These rankings are appalling," said Brown. "VA must release this data so we know where these homes are failing and how to improve care for our veterans."

The amendment is cosponsored by Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Ranking Member Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Senator Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla.).

This amendment would require the VA to submit an annual report to Congress by November 11th of each calendar year. It would require detailed data sets to be shared about short-term and long-term care furnished by VA nursing homes, specifically addressing: pain, ulcers, use of anti-psychotic medication, use of catheters, patient well-being (fall or major injury), ability to perform daily activities (eating, bathing, using the restroom), physically restrained patients, and patients with urinary tract infections. This data is not currently available to the public.