A VA facility in Aurora has gone more than two years without in-house mammography services, a lapse that federal investigators said contributed to delayed diagnoses, gaps in follow-up care and patient safety concerns for female veterans.

Officials with the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System said that the gaps in service did not jeopardize women’s health.  

The Office of Inspector General launched an investigation last May into the allegations and their potential impact.

Among the findings:

• Doctors could not get breast imaging records and scans quickly enough to properly treat patients
• The VA was not properly tracking women who needed breast cancer screening or providing follow-up care
• VA officials mishandled the hiring of a new breast imaging specialist, failing to verify credentials

In 2024, the facility lost its sole radiologist with specialization in mammography, resulting in all patients requiring breast imaging to be referred to community providers.

This had a cascading affect, the Office of Inspector General said: Delayed images from community providers, delayed uploading of images by VA staff, delayed treatment.

Breast Cancer Screening requires staff maintain a tracking system for abnormal mammography results, the OIG noted.

“The OIG found that the facility lacked detailed guidance regarding required women’s health tracking processes, and that facility primary care staff had not fully implemented processes to identify and notify patients due for breast cancer screening,” the report said.

The facility also did not establish a mammography coordinator until 2025, although officials had been allocating those responsibilities for six years.

When the VA did hire a new mammographer, the facility failed to properly verify credentials and delayed required oversight reviews, contributing to continued problems reopening its mammography program and potentially putting patients at risk, investigators said.

The facility still has not restored accreditation or resumed breast imaging services.

The VA is actively recruiting a radiologist specializing in mammography, said Nick Sanchez, a VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System spokesperson

Sanchez noted that the VA hired a coordinator last year to monitor female veteran’s medical records.

“As a result, mammogram screening compliance increased from 50.88% in July 2025 to 70.61% as of May 14, 2026, in line with the national average,” Sanchez said in a statement. “Additionally, a comprehensive review of all abnormal breast imaging exams from the past year showed no patient harm, and there is no backlog for breast-related imaging.”

Sanchez said the VA was “on track” implementing all of the OIG’s recommendations.

The mammography findings add to a broader history of patient safety concerns tied to the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, which oversees the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora.

Two years ago, officials at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center discovered “black flecks” on its surgical equipment.  This discovery required the facility to schedule or refer hundreds of procedures, including surgeries and dental appointments.

The flecks were later identified as plastic.

While hospital officials reported no injuries, contaminates on reusable equipment can introduce bacteria, viruses or fungi into the surgical site and lead to infections.

Surgical equipment can be disposable or reusable.

Reusable equipment includes items, such as scalpels and dental tools, which impacts surgeries and routine dental appointments.

Standard operating procedure requires an equipment inspection prior to all procedures. It was during this inspection at the VA Hospital that the residue was discovered.