Veterans Administration Hospitals – MA
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History of Veterans Administration Hospitals
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While the Veterans Administration (VA) as we know it today was not established until President Herbert Hoover signed Executive Order 5398 in 1930, the United States government has been implementing care programs for its veterans since 1776. Back then, enlisted soldiers who became disabled in combat received pension payments from the government and medical care from state and local facilities. Benefits were improved and increased as the decades went on, including domiciliary care, hospital and specialized care, disability care, insurance, housing, psychological care, women’s health care, substance abuse care, and more. The VA hospital and care system had about 50 hospitals nationwide in 1930 and has grown to over 1,600 today (including medical centers and outpatient facilities).
In Massachusetts, several VA care locations have been in service for many years and are seen as cornerstones for the veterans who live in the communities they serve.
- VA Boston Healthcare System serves about 65,000 veterans across 9 locations. Notable facilities include the Jamaica Plain Campus (built in 1953), the West Roxbury Campus, and the Brockton Campus (built in 1953).
- VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System – the Edward P. Boland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Leeds was built in 1923. The Springfield VA Clinic opened in 1924 as the nation’s first neuropsychiatric hospital in service to veterans.
- VA Bedford Healthcare System – the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital in Bedford was built in 1928 and was named after a Massachusetts Congresswoman who co-authored the GI Bill in 1944. In 2018, whistleblowers alerted the VA office that the facility had been contaminated with asbestos causing exposure in veteran patients and staff, while management had knowledge of this since at least 2014.
Asbestos Use at Veterans Administration Hospitals in Massachusetts
Asbestos in hospitals is commonly found in construction materials and facility support items, including boilers, plumbing and steam pipes, valves and pumps, ceiling and floor tiles, concrete, spackling and joint compound, electrical wiring and components, and more. Hospitals use boilers that produce steam for the building’s heat systems as well as heating water for washing laundry, operating the kitchen, and sterilizing lab equipment and surgical tools. Such boilers are centrally located and transmit steam throughout the hospital through a series of pipes, pumps, and valves. These parts and components were covered with asbestos insulation to minimize energy loss and protect workers from high heat. Valves, flanges, and pipe connections contained asbestos gaskets, while pumps were sealed with asbestos packing material.
Removing and replacing insulation on steam system components to perform repairs and building maintenance disturbed asbestos and released fibers into the air, that workers unknowingly inhaled and ingested, and/or got stuck to their clothing or skin. Maintenance workers, engineers, and custodial staff may have been exposed to asbestos from thermal system insulation. Medical personnel and even patients were also at risk of bystander asbestos exposure. Even when facilities make efforts to perform asbestos abatement to remove this material, there is potential for dangerous levels of exposure if not performed properly.
Our Top-Rated Asbestos Attorneys Represent Veterans Administration Hospital workers
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related illness due to asbestos exposure at Veterans Administration Hospitals in Massachusetts, you need to speak with an experienced asbestos lawyer as soon as possible.
At Belluck & Fox, our nationally recognized mesothelioma attorneys have extensive experience fighting for families and workers exposed to asbestos. We are proud to have secured more than $1 billion in compensation for asbestos victims and their families.
We are ready to help you. Contact us today to set up a free consultation. A partner at our law firm will personally call you to talk about the details of your case and explain your legal options. Our law firm does not charge (any legal fees upfront and we do not get paid unless and until we secure compensation for you.
