TOMAH, Wis. — The former head of the Tomah VA Medical Center was allowed to resign and given a settlement after allegations that painkillers were being overprescribed to patients.
Mario DeSanctis was fired from the hospital in 2015. But a USA Today investigation found he fought his dismissal and reached a deal in which he was allowed to resign. He and his attorney were paid $163,000.
The Tomah VA hospital was rocked in January 2015 by reports of inappropriate dosages of narcotic pain killers and retaliation against employees who questioned the practice.
DeSanctis did not return a phone message left by The Associated Press on Thursday.
Jason Simcakoski was a Marine who died in 2014 from a fatal combination of drugs. His widow, Heather Simcakoski, told the La Crosse Tribune the settlement was “really disappointing.”
