VA officials are launching an internal investigation after a veteran waited hours to be seen at the Memphis VA emergency room last week and is now fighting for life.

The veteran came to the ER to be seen for high blood pressure and headaches, according to Sean Higgins, a VA whistleblower and former hospital employee.

Higgins said the veteran was given a low priority rating, and four hours passed before the veteran was called to be seen. In that time, Higgins said, the veteran's condition worsened.

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Director David Dunning acknowledged the incident last week and said they are monitoring the veteran's condition and "communicating" with his family, and conducting "an internal review and will take appropriate action if warranted."

The case is the most recent for the troubled VA hospital that has struggled to improve in recent years and has had several problems with care in its emergency department. The hospital recently unveiled a renovated portion of the ER, which took three years to complete.

Higgins first began alerting VA and congressional officials of the problems at the hospital four years ago after a veteran was given medication they were allergic to and later died. The VA also investigated that incident, and recommended changes in protocols.

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Higgins said it's time the VA focuses on those they hire to care for veterans.

"You can spend millions of dollars and have a state of the art facility, but if you don't hire compassionate, caring people nothing changes," Higgins said.

Reach Jake Lowary at jlowary@tennessean.com or follow him on Twitter at @JakeLowary.