The supervisor responsible for an internal email at Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center that appears to mock veteran suicides has been removed from her post and put on paid administrative leave pending further investigation.
But the hospital's leaders remain mum about why they didn't take those steps when they first learned about the email about two months ago.
Roudebush Director Tom Mattice apologized for the email in a statement announcing the removal of Robin Paul, who manages the hospital's seamless transition clinic.
"The email message that was sent out by Ms. Paul is completely and totally unacceptable. It in no way reflects the attitudes of our staff toward our patients," Mattice said. "I ask Veterans to accept my apology for this failure, and to allow us to continue to demonstrate to you our commitment to your health and well-being."
The Dec. 14 email, first disclosed Monday in The Indianapolis Star, includes photographs of a toy Christmas elf posing as one of the hospital's patients, pleading for anxiety medication and hanging itself with an electrical cord. Paul sent the email to employees of the hospital's Seamless Transition Integrated Care Clinic, which provides mental health and readjustment services for returning veterans.
Hospital officials have acknowledged that they've known about the email for about two months. Previously, they said they handled the matter administratively but would not elaborate on what action was taken.
Mattice, whose statement today is his first public comment on the issue, did not address why he waited so long to launch an investigation or remove Paul.
His decision to remove Paul comes after pressure from members of Congress and some of the nation's largest veterans groups, including the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Exposure of the emails set off a firestorm of criticism on social media. In just two days, a petition circulated on Facebook garnered more than 5,200 signatures calling for Paul to be fired.
The VA is already reeling from a scandal last year, when hospitals and clinics across the country were discovered to have manipulated data to downplay long patient wait times. Those problems cost former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki his job.
The VA is also trying to combat a scourge of veteran suicides. One VA study found that 22 veterans take their own life every day.
