NPR reported on Wednesday the rise in privacy violations at VA medical facilities. Thousands of privacy violations are committed each year by employees at the VA clinics, pharmacies, and benefit centers. Breaches involve inadvertent mistakes, such as sending documents or prescriptions to the wrong people, to employee snooping, and data theft. VA Associate Deputy John Oswalt told NPR, “Over a third of our employees are veterans … We have a vested interest in protecting the data personally, too.” The Civil Rights Office has cited VA health system more than other health provider in the nation, yet has not sanctioned the VA. The VA released a statement saying it takes whistleblower complaints seriously: all matters are thoroughly investigated and appropriate actions are taken.