The VA has admitted to “poor decision making” in spending $4.7 million on works of art costing more than $1,000 each from January 2010 to July 2016, at a time the department has attributed problems with patient care to understaffing caused by underfunding.
It made that admission in a letter to Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who asked about spending on art after an advocacy group reported, based on a review of agency documents released to it, that the VA had spent $20 million on art over 10 years ending in 2014.
After he and others raised questions, the VA issued a policy last month on the purchase of art and decorative items in its health care branch, including cost thresholds and approved levels for purchases. Similar policies are to follow for the VA’s other components.
The department added that “studies from many organizations, including the National Institute of Health, consistently highlight the positive, therapeutic value of artwork” and that it “has increasingly begun to leverage strategic partnerships to obtain art.” Art purchases typically occur with the construction of new space or renovation of existing space, it added, and are based on the intended function of the space.
Grassley said he will press for an accounting for the difference between the VA figure and the group’s figure. “Veterans deserve a good environment in every hospital, but most of all, they deserve the care they need when they need it. Buying expensive artwork sends the message that the VA has its priorities out of whack. Not being able to account completely for the purchases also raises questions,” he said.
