The Little Rock veterans hospital will shut down its surgery section until Saturday to conduct staff training.
A Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System spokesman said there wasn't one particular incident that led to the pause in surgeries at John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital.
The closing resulted in the postponement of several dozen surgeries.
"Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System is committed to continuously improving patient safety," Chris Durney, the hospital's spokesman, said in a statement. "That is why the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital surgery service is conducting a Quality/Safety/Value stand-down August 14 -- 16, during which time all surgical staff will engage in quality, safety and customer service training. Surgeries scheduled during this time will be re-scheduled as soon as possible or provided at VA expense through non-VA community providers."
The Little Rock hospital is one of two U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals in central Arkansas. The Eugene J. Towbin Health Care Center in North Little Rock provides services such as primary care, mental health and other clinical services. It does not have a surgery center.
There's also a veterans hospital in Fayetteville and community clinics located throughout the state.
Mark Diggs, a Little Rock Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient, said he had a minor procedure scheduled that was canceled as a result of the shutdown. He said he wasn't given a reason for the surgery pause.
Metro on 08/14/2019