Staff shortages trigger investigation of W. Va. veterans nursing home

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has ordered an investigation of the West Virginia Veterans Nursing Facility in Clarksburg at the urging of the West Virginia Public Workers Union, UE Local 170. Representing 1,000 hospital workers, the union alleges a lower quality of care at the facility because of understaffing.

The state Office of Health Facility Licensure and Certification (OHFLC) will conduct an investigation to assess and evaluate the facility to see if the union’s claims are valid, according to the governor’s spokesperson, Amy Shuler Goodwin.

Local 170 President Donna Morgan asserts that a visit from a state agency might not uncover the problem because staffing may seem adequate at the time of the visit. She asks, in an article, “Are they people who’ve been there for 16 hours or are they people who’ve been there for 8 hours?”

Morgan says that while pay is an underlying issue, the real issue is understaffing and mandated overtime. Complaints about uthese issues have been lodged repeatedly, according to an article. 

Sandra Hoban

Sandra Hoban was on I Advance Senior Care / Long-Term Living’s editorial staff for 17 years. She is one of the country’s longest-serving senior care journalists. Before joining Long-Term Living, she was a member of the promotions department at Advanstar Communications. In addition to her editorial experience, Sandi has served past roles in print and broadcast advertising as a traffic and talent coordinator.