Medical Malpractice at
Jennifer Moreno VA Medical Center

The Jennifer Moreno VA Medical Center in San Diego is a key healthcare facility for veterans in Southern California. This 1a-High Complexity VA Medical Center delivers comprehensive medical services, from primary care to complex rehabilitation programs for traumatic brain injuries and polytrauma cases. The medical center offers 24/7 operations across all services. It also serves as a teaching hospital affiliated with the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

Despite the facility's important mission and comprehensive care capabilities, medical malpractice can unfortunately occur at any healthcare institution, including VA medical centers. When veterans receive substandard care that results in injury or harm, they have legal recourse under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). As a law firm with both a licensed attorney and medical doctor on staff, we understand the complex medical and legal issues involved in VA malpractice cases and have recovered over $145 million for clients nationwide.

Veterans who believe they received negligent care at the Jennifer Moreno VA Medical Center should understand that federal facilities operate under different legal frameworks than private hospitals. This requires specialized knowledge of both FTCA procedures and VA healthcare systems to pursue successful claims.

The Jennifer Moreno VA Medical Center holds the distinction of being the first VA medical center in the nation named after a female veteran. Located at 3350 La Jolla Village Drive in San Diego, California, this facility was renamed in 2022 under Public Law No. 117-98 to honor U.S. Army Captain Jennifer Moreno. She was an Army nurse and San Diego native who died in Afghanistan in 2013 while providing medical aid to wounded soldiers. Captain Moreno was just 25 years old and was the first Nurse Cultural Support Team member to die in action.

As a high-complexity VA medical center, the facility provides services like mental health care, substance abuse treatment, pain management, and rehab programs. The medical center operates comprehensive dental services with surgical capabilities, polytrauma and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation programs, and specialized care for women veterans and LGBTQ+ veterans. The facility also provides palliative and end-of-life care, suicide prevention programs, and residential therapeutic programs.

The medical center partners with UC San Diego School of Medicine and operates the VA Nursing Academy to train future healthcare providers. Because it trains future providers and serves veterans with complex medical needs, the Jennifer Moreno VA Medical Center is vital to California's veterans healthcare.

• Surgical Errors: Given the facility's comprehensive dental surgical services and complex medical procedures, surgical mistakes can occur birth injury claims → including wrong-site surgery, retained surgical instruments, or improper surgical techniques. VA hospitals sometimes face staffing pressures that can contribute to surgical errors. If you had complications after surgery here, get an evaluation from attorneys experienced in California surgical error claims.

• Emergency Room Mistakes: With 24/7 operations across all services, emergency care errors can include failure to properly triage patients, misreading diagnostic tests, or delays in treatment for time-sensitive conditions. VA emergency departments often handle complex cases involving veterans with multiple health issues and service-connected disabilities. These cases require careful analysis documented in California emergency room error claims.

• Misdiagnosis and Delayed Diagnosis: The facility's comprehensive specialty services mean veterans receive care for complex conditions including cancer, cardiology issues, and neurological problems. Diagnostic errors can occur when symptoms are attributed to existing service-connected conditions rather than new medical problems. Veterans experiencing diagnostic delays should understand their rights under California misdiagnosis laws.

• Medication Errors: With extensive pain management, mental health, and substance abuse treatment programs, medication errors pose significant risks at this facility. These errors include dangerous drug combinations, wrong dosages, or failure to monitor reactions, especially for veterans on many medications.

• Mental Health Treatment Failures: Given the facility's suicide prevention programs and mental health services, failures in psychiatric care can have devastating consequences. This includes inadequate risk assessments, improper medication management, or failure to provide appropriate crisis intervention for veterans experiencing mental health emergencies.

• Infection Control Failures: Hospital-acquired infections can occur in any medical facility, but veterans may be particularly vulnerable due to compromised immune systems or complex medical conditions requiring extended hospital stays or invasive procedures.

Veterans must follow specific Federal Tort Claims Act procedures (28 U.S.C. § 2675) when filing claims against the Jennifer Moreno VA Medical Center. Unlike private hospital malpractice cases, you cannot directly sue VA medical centers or their employees. Instead, the FTCA require