A recent accreditation survey found insect debris, stained surfaces and unidentified residue in a kitchen at the Washington VA Medical Center, prompting an emergency order of commercial kitchen equipment.
The June 2026 survey found “multiple unclean and stained surfaces, food spilled on the floor, utensils on the floor, food container debris, and insect debris” in the Nutrition and Food Services kitchen, according to a federal contracting request posted by the DCVAMC on Friday.
The survey noted several physical concerns with the area, including “broken equipment handles, cracked floor tiles, and standing water from excess water discharge,” as well as “unidentified residue” on equipment surfaces. It also found the facility’s procedures for food safety and infection control to be deficient.
The survey is run by the Joint Commission — an independent nonprofit that evaluates and accredits health care organizations — and takes place once every three years.
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The VA requested the delivery and installation of a custom sink system with a drainboard, a food waste disposer and a pot scrubber. According to the contracting request, continuing to work with the current equipment poses an “ongoing infection control risk.”
“The DC VAMC took immediate action and directed senior leadership to ensure the Joint Commission’s standards are met at this facility, which led to immediate improvements in June,” Quinn Slaven, a spokesperson for the VA, wrote in a statement to The Washington Sun. “The facility implemented new training for staff and a new cleaning schedule over the summer and continues to replace outdated kitchen equipment as needed.”
The DCVAMC has faced other difficulties with staffing and maintenance. In July, The American Prospect reported that the medical center lacked the staff to fix its air-conditioning system and struggled to retain radiologists.
The DCVAMC provides health care services to veterans and their families. The Nutrition and Food Services kitchen supports inpatient meal services, according to the federal contracting request. The DCVAMC serves more than 125,000 veterans in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, and it employs more than 2,000 people at its facilities.
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