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Veterans advocate urges Philadelphia VA transparency after FOIA delays, calls for commission action
Summary
Dr. Kathy Bennett Santos told the Philadelphia Veterans Advisory Board that the Philadelphia VA released only limited data in response to a December FOIA request and urged the commission to demand full transparency on suicide, mortality and cardiovascular data affecting local veterans.
Dr. Kathy Bennett Santos, founder of the National Alliance of Women Veterans and a leader of the Philadelphia Trailblazer Project, told the Philadelphia Veterans Advisory Board that the Philadelphia VA has withheld critical health and mortality data requested under the Freedom of Information Act and that the region’s veterans are paying the price.
"Veterans continue to die by suicide at disproportionate rates," Santos said, and she told the commission her FOIA request submitted in December sought suicide deaths, mortality, homelessness and cardiovascular-related hospitalizations. She said the Philadelphia VA released only limited information from the Patient Advocates Tracking System and that VISN4 has not responded to requests.
Santos described a pattern she called "research misconduct," saying findings from her January 2025 study showed higher discrimination rates among Black veterans and compounding barriers for Black women veterans. She asked the commission to demand that the Philadelphia VA comply with the FOIA request and to follow up with whistleblowers who had testified at an earlier hearing.
"We must demand transparency on suicide, mortality and cardiovascular rates," Santos said, arguing that withheld data prevents advocates from identifying root causes and designing mitigation strategies for local veterans.
Commissioners did not announce a formal vote or directive during the meeting. Director Gregory Wright and other staff did not provide additional new data in response during the session; Santos said VISN4 had not responded and that the VA administrator's office was only then making an internal request.
The commission heard Santos’ request and indicated interest in follow-up; Santos said a fuller version of her testimony would be provided to commissioners for further review. The commission closed without a formal outcome on demanding VA compliance during this meeting.
Next steps: Santos asked the board to send a formal request to the Philadelphia VA for the withheld records and to engage with whistleblowers who testified previously; the board did not record a formal action during the session.
