Veterans hospital investigating after tweets of ‘unsanitary’ room

This undated photo provided by Christopher Wilson shows cluttered and unsanitary conditions that Wilson, an Army veteran, found in an exam room where he waited to be seen at a Veterans Affairs clinic in Salt Lake City. The VA is investigating why he was put in a room with an overflowing trash can and medical supplies strewn about, Salt Lake City, Utah, undated | Photo courtesy of Christopher Wilson via Associated Press, St. George News

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Veterans Affairs clinic in Salt Lake City is investigating why an Army veteran was put in a room with an overflowing trash can and medical supplies strewn about after the man’s father tweeted images of the unclean space.

This undated photo provided by Christopher Wilson shows cluttered and unsanitary conditions that Wilson, an Army veteran, found in an exam room where he waited to be seen at a Veterans Affairs clinic in Salt Lake City. The VA is investigating why he was put in a room with an overflowing trash can and medical supplies strewn about, Salt Lake City, Utah, undated | Photo courtesy of Christopher Wilson via Associated Press, St. George News

Stephen Wilson, the father of Christopher Wilson who spent six years in the Army and was deployed to Iraq twice, posted the photos to Twitter on Friday, calling the sight “very unprofessional, unsanitary and disrespectful,” the Deseret News reported.

The post had been retweeted over 19,000 times as of Tuesday morning with almost 14,000 likes and about 2,800 comments about the photos and post.

“The condition of the room was the way it was when he went in, no other room was offered and no attempt to clean it up was made for the duration of his appointment,” Stephen Wilson also tweeted.

Dr. Karen Gribbin, chief of staff at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Utah, apologized on Monday and said at a news conference that the staff was focused on ending Christopher Wilson’s wait on April 5 and didn’t notice the state of the room.

She said discipline is possible for staff members, but said they are still trying to understand what happened.

“Mr. Wilson should not have been placed in the room in that condition,” Gribbin said. “The room should be cleaned, supplies and trash removed, before the next patient is placed in there.”

Gribbin said she apologized to Christopher Wilson on Saturday and again Monday “for his experience.”

Christopher Wilson, 33, said he was at the facility to get 18 injections in his ankle and surrounding area.

Written by ASSOCIATED PRESS

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5 Comments

  • No Filter May 1, 2018 at 11:40 am

    That VA hospital is a dump. If you are a veteran and live in Southern Utah, push to be transferred to Las Vegas. Their hospital is great.

  • Whatteverrr May 1, 2018 at 9:46 pm

    Yeah and trump professes to care about vets SO MUCH. But fires the head of VA and nominates another numbscull who is unqualified and scandalous. This pic if just a symptom of a way worse problem.

  • Striker4 May 2, 2018 at 3:40 pm

    I always go to the one in Las Vegas

    • comments May 2, 2018 at 7:00 pm

      and that would be a psychiatric facility, not a VA…

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