7 News has taken a closer look at Valor Healthcare, the Washington, D.C.-based company that will be taking over the VA clinic from Carthage Area Hospital and relocating it to Watertown, and has found problems with its record.

The company previously ran two clinics in Texas.

According to The Galveston County Daily News, patients complained about care and service.

Valor no longer runs those facilities.

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, there were also problems with a clinic in Monaca, Pennsylvania.

It cited a 50-page report from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, which said Valor had improperly billed for the care of more than 400 patients, including some who were deceased. 

The overbilling added up to about $15,000.
 
Valor's chief executive officer is Howard Lewin.

Company officials said Lewin is willing to speak with 7 News, but couldn't talk with us Thursday because he's travelling.

Valor Healthcare has had its share of criticism, but it has also been praised.

Its clinic in Dunkirk, New York, near Buffalo is rated the highest in its area.

Cartahge Area Hosptial's clinic was rated second, just below the Valor clinic.

7 News made numerous calls the to the VA in Washington. 

Those calls were not returned.

However, the VA plans to hold a news conference Friday at 10 a.m. at the Dulles State Office Building in Watertown to discuss Valor and the clinic it will be running in Watertown.

Meanwhile, the news that the clinic is leaving Carthage Area Hospital continues to rock the Carthage and West Carthage communities.

West Carthage Mayor Scott Burto says the community invested money to house the VA clinic in a converted grocery store and he doesn't like that the VA is just going to pull out of the village. 

"It has become the gateway between our two communities. It took an abandoned grocery store...and changed it to the centerpoint of our community," he said.

He says he can't understand why CAH lost its contract.

Its level of care has been rated high, but still it lost the bid.

"I think that there's definitely a concern for the level of care that will be provided in the future for the veterans that use the facility now," said Burto.

He's contacting leaders like Congressman Bill Owens to see if anything can be done to keep the facility at Carthage Area Hospital.

See our earlier report