Chicago-area VA hospital accused of serving patients raw, expired food

A Department of Veterans Affairs hospital just west of Chicago is reportedly serving expired, uncooked meals while unsanitary conditions are left without repair for extended periods of time and the head of the nutrition department allegedly has a side business selling handbags at work.

The Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital came under scrutiny in 2014 when Germaine Clarno, a social worker and union representative, reported the hospital's manipulation of patient wait times. Now, The Daily Caller has discovered more problems with the hospital's operation.

The Daily Caller has obtained photos reportedly showing unsanitary conditions and raw or expired food, a hole in the ceiling that an employee said took six months to fix, and a mouse found in the kitchen on February 22.

On one occasion, The Daily Caller reports, a Jewish patient was left unable to eat for days due to the hospital's lack of Kosher food. The Daily Caller obtained an email from one of the doctors that called the incident "unacceptable in any facility, especially our VA hospital." He continued in the email to explain that the typical stock of Kosher food "was found to be expired, discarded and not replaced."

And the head of the nutrition department, Valerie Adegunleye, has reportedly been running her own side business selling handbags during work hours, according to the Daily Caller. 

Rick Fox, the public affairs officer for the hospital, told The Daily Caller: "Providing a safe environment and quality care for our Veterans is our top priority at Hines VA Hospital. That includes serving quality, nutritious food that is prepared and delivered under sanitary conditions. Facility leadership is actively involved in improvements and staff monitor all aspects of food preparation daily, remediating any issues as they arise."

"We have made dramatic improvements at our facility and expect to begin a total remodel of the kitchen later this summer. We take all allegations regarding employee misconduct seriously. While we will not comment on any proposed disciplinary action or performance reviews, we hold our employees accountable for their actions," he said. 

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