PHOENIX — An employee of the Veterans Affairs hospital in Phoenix that is at the center of a nationwide scandal over delays in care is alleging there is an ongoing cover-up of patient deaths at the facility.

Scheduling clerk Pauline DeWenter also acknowledged that she was the person who maintained a “secret list” of veterans who waited months for appointments.

DeWenter spoke with the Arizona Republic Monday and also did interviews with CNN. She told the Republic she has spoken to VA Office of Inspector General investigators about the list, turned over evidence and reported her suspicions of a cover-up.

That cover-up allegedly involved someone changing entries on the electronic appointment records of veterans who died while awaiting care. DeWenter said she entered “deceased” on the records and someone later changed the entry to “entered in error” and “no longer needed.” She said some of the changes happened in recent weeks.

‘SECRET LIST’ IN DRAWER

DeWenter said the Phoenix VA Medical Center was overwhelmed with patients in early 2013 and a supervisor ordered her to gather new-patient appointment requests and place them in her desk drawer.

She declined to name the supervisor but estimated that more than 1,000 veterans were sidetracked onto that “secret list.” They remained there for weeks or months because they couldn’t be scheduled within a 14-day goal set for wait times.

She said she objected to the practice but didn’t complain to the Phoenix VA director Sharon Helman because Helman had warned employees to follow orders in the campaign to cut wait times.

“She said during a meeting, ‘If you don’t do this my way, I will personally buy you a pass for the 7th Street bus … out of the VA,”‘ DeWenter told the Republic.

AWARE OF NEW ALLEGATION?

Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., asked VA officials about the new allegations during a congressional hearing late Monday.

“You’ve been to the Phoenix facility four times? Are you aware of this new revelation?” Walorski asked.

“I’m not aware of the revelation. I am aware that the OIG is looking carefully at all of the deaths that have occurred. I do not know of any attempts to hide deaths, congresswoman,” said Thomas Lynch, an assistant deputy undersecretary at the VA.

Dr. Sam Foote, the retired VA physician who first blew the whistle on the practice earlier this year, said he’s been talking with DeWenter about the waiting list issues since December. He said Tuesday she was under “tremendous stress” and was not granting additional interviews. Foote questioned why the VA left so many of the former hospital management team in place after all that has been learned about problems at the hospital.

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