Wisconsin VA Hospital Investigated For Overprescribing Narcotics

The chief of staff at a Wisconsin VA hospital has been temporarily reassigned while the facility is investigated for the overmedication of veterans.

This comes after the Center For Investigative Reporting published a story about the overprescribing of narcotic painkillers at the Tomah Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

The facility has gained the reputation of “Candy Land” because of its generous dispensation of drugs. The man in charge of the hospital, Dr. David Houlihan, is called the “Candy Man” by veterans and staff.

Reporter Aaron Glantz wrote the story and spoke with Houlihan, veterans, former staff members and families who lost loved ones from overdoses.

Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson speaks with Glantz and one of those family members. Marv Simcakoski‘s son Jason Simcakoski, a Marine Corps veteran, died of an overdose at Tomah VA Medical Center.

Read the reports by Adam Glantz:

• Opiates handed out like candy to ‘doped-up' veterans at Wisconsin VA
• Alarm over Wisconsin VA's troubles follows years of complaints

Guest

• Aaron Glantz, covers veterans and domestic military issues for the Center for Investigative Reporting. He tweets @Aaron_Glantz.
• Marv Simcakoski, father of Jason Simcakoski, a Marine Corps veteran who died of an overdose at Tomah VA Medical Center.

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