The Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center has reprimanded two employees and recommended reprimands for two more after examining three patient deaths blamed on mismanagement of its mental health unit.

Federal officials told the U.S. House Committee on Veterans' Affairs about the punishments in a June 11 response.

Two employees were reprimanded on April 25. Officials had also recommended reprimands for two additional employees, but those decisions had not been finalized. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (http://bit.ly/1aPVtWq ) reports that a reprimand can remain in an employee's file for up to three years.

The committee chairman, Republican Rep. Jeff Miller of Florida, said the reprimands were an insufficient response.

An internal investigation this year linked three patient deaths to inadequate oversight in the hospital's mental health unit.

Tags: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Atlanta VA Medical Center, VA Medical Center