Whistleblowers of America Supports Jamie Fox, Former VBA Employee in Coming Forward to Inform Congress on VA's Rampant Abuse of Power and Privacy Violations

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Navy veteran and former Oakland VA Regional Office employee, Jamie Fox, recently delivered a statement for the record on January 30, 2018 to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs when they held a hearing on Improving Veterans Appeals.  As a component of that modernization effort, Fox attested to the ongoing retaliation she has experienced for being a witness during a workplace harassment case and called for better privacy accountability. Supporting her in this bold action has been Whistleblowers of America (https://whistleblowersofamerica.org/), a new Veterans Service Organization that's working to deliver justice to everyone who has experienced illegal and unethical practices in the private or public sectors. A petition to make wrongdoers at the VA accountable, which includes Fox's full statement, is live now on Change.org.

Since Fox blew the whistle in 2008, she has learned privacy breaches at the VA are rampant as her private information has been "weaponized." Fox discovered veterans' case files (C-files) don't enjoy the same protection as they would in a private organization; by many accounts, the VA is among the most serious violators of HIPAA regulations. One official described the problem as "epidemic" and many others have disclosed similar concerns to Whistleblowers of America. At the heart of the issue is the fact that authorization and accounting practices concerning C-files are sorely inadequate.

According to Fox, the Veterans Benefits Management System ? the computer system used throughout the VA ? does not create accurate and timely audit logs, despite overlapping regulations requiring exactly that. Moreover, managers can grant permission to themselves or others to view private and personally identifiable information on any veteran. Part of the issue is that the system was designed around paper files, but the problem is compounded when managers behave unscrupulously.

In seeking justice for the harassment she's suffered, Fox has asked for a comprehensive list of everyone who's accessed her C-file. But so far, the VA has delayed and misdirected her. While she has support from many current employees, those individuals are unwilling to step forward fearing possible retaliation themselves.

As part of Fox's statement, she requested that Congress author the following legislation to benefit current and future veterans:

• Require authorization from veterans before accessing their C-files
• Allow veterans unfettered, immediate access to their own C-files, including audit logs
• Make reporting privacy violations easy and encourage such reporting
• Ensure the data security and authorization and accounting aspects of VBMS

According to its Founder and Executive Director, Jacqueline Garrick, "Embodied in the hashtag #UsToo, Whistleblowers of America's mission is to provide support and sanctuary to anyone who has the courage to speak truth to power." The organization deals with hostile workplace matters including: Equal Employment Opportunity; Disability and Reasonable Accommodations; Federal Acquisition Regulations; Waste, Fraud and Abuse; and Veterans and Survivor Benefit denials, among others.

Garrick states that, "The nation's veterans are the focus of Whistleblowers of America largely because of the degree of abuse and unethical behavior that they see in civil service is so at odds with the dignity that they rightly deserve for their sacrifice." Recent headline news stories have detailed these abuses ? waiting list manipulation, over-prescription of medications, and misuse of taxpayer dollars are just the beginning of this story, but perhaps they're also the impetus to effect meaningful change. In that sense, Whistleblowers of America stands behind Jamie Fox and all her peers who come forward to shine a light on abusive, illegal practices that harm veterans, Service members, and their families.  Veterans are dying from medical errors and suicides while wrongdoing and misappropriation investigations drag on for years. Fox adds her voice to stop such improprieties now.

About Whistleblowers of America
Whistleblowers of America is a 501(c)(3) organization assisting whistleblowers who have suffered retaliation after having identified harm to individuals or the public. Its mission is to provide peer-to-peer support in overcoming the traumatic stress of retaliation and to engage in advocacy campaigns on behalf of watchdogs and whistleblowers.

601 Pennsylvania Ave, South Tower, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20004

Contact:
Jacqueline Garrick, Executive Director
www.whistleblowersofamerica.org
202-309-1870
[email protected]

SOURCE Whistleblowers of America