Funny, I just received something from the Virginia VA office asking me to make appointments for my healthcare. Yea I’d rather trust McDonalds with my healthcare….
My late father was 100% disabled and lived out his last 3.5 years at a VA facility. I met some wonderful people who worked there but the system is set up to be a merry-go-round of madness. When my 89 year old father was assaulted by another veteran causing a head injury, boy was I given the run around. They quickly moved him to a memory unit from regular nursing care.
My father was seen at the VA hospital in Norfolk. They gave him a clean bill of health and sent him on his way. He was feeling really bad. My aunt was driving him home and decided to have him seen by her physician. Shortly after, he was diagnosed with stage three throat cancer. Within a year he passed away. This is how the government repays a man who did two tours in Vietnam. A man who was such a patriot, he forged my grannies signature and went to war at age 17. And let's not forget the agent orange incident. Thanks government! He handed that down to me as I was born at the end of the war. So, to hell with them! These mthrfkrs got it coming and I pray I'm around to partake in that act. In the meantime, patiently holding the line...
I worked at a VAMC years ago and was appalled at what I saw. Shortly after I arrived there, a vet came in to see me and was very distraught. When I asked what was going on he told me about a very close buddy that had just died the previous day. His buddy died from of an oral cancer that was delayed in being diagnosed by the VA. The vet, like so many others, finally got tired of waiting for the VA to get him a biopsy so he went to an outside physician only to find out that his cancer had metastasized. I never forgot and vowed that it would not happen on my watch.
I kept a list of patients that needed biopsies and what the status on the results were. The medical bureaucracy there was insane. Process is the focus - not patient care. The biggest majority of the patients I was tracking would end up having their appointments cancelled for various reasons and never get rescheduled. I would end up rescheduling the appointments myself. There was one patient of mine that took 9 months to finally get the appropriate biopsy done. Thank God it was a benign growth. Every month, sometimes bimonthly, I went through my list and checked the system to see if there had been a biopsy or the appropriate follow-up with the right specialist. I did this on my own time. It opened up for me a whole different can of worms coming across delayed or ignored treatment.
Soon I had the reputation of being a patient advocate - which put me at odds with the rest of the staff. No one was supposed to rock the boat and I was there to constantly challenge their crappy attitudes of cruising to retirement. I was not seen as a team player - at least not in their sense. After a while, staff meetings were held on days when I was not scheduled and I was kept out of the loop. I understood the frustration of the Vets in dealing with that system. Some Vets ended up in mental care simply because of fighting with the VA to get the care they needed and deserved.
I saw patients that had waited over a year to finally be assigned a PCP - only to lose that PCP and then have to wait again to be assigned to another. So many went to the VA on an emergency basis to be seen. It was a joke. Unfortunately for my patients, I lost my job at the VA. So, they were left scrambling again to find help. This was my only regret about leaving.
When all the crap broke loose about the AZ VAMC, I reached out to the congressional committee chair to pass on what I personally experienced and saw. It was a long haul, but finally Vets were allowed to seek outside help. It does not surprise me that they are trying to roll it back. No doubt the program is making them look bad and they would much prefer to operate in the dark while the Vets suffer in silence. Shameful.
My wife worked at one for six months. She was a n advocate too. 40 plus years in hospitals and she said it was un believable. The union is a big problem there.
The big difference between public and private enterprises like the VA, is that the product they produce is the process. Private industry is profit driven - don't make a profit, don't stay in business. Public is not based on any discernable product of any value. It is all about developing a process that somehow justifies a paycheck and existence. Most of the processes don't produce anything of real value in a practical way - such as patient care. But it looks good on paper - or so say the other government entities all doing the same. The people within the system cannot see the insanity of it all. Americans defrauding other Americans for a paycheck and thinking they provide a service.
The VAMC where I worked utilized many per diem employees like myself to do actual work. The permanent employees were, for the most part, useless bureaucrats that did as little as possible. Whenever there were inspections and audits to control spending, they would go through the facility and pink slip the per diem grunts to make the books balance. Then slowly they would hire back more per diems to actually get some work done. In addition, by constantly rotating the per diems, they could keep their incompetency hidden. Like all government entities, they have the ability to grow dead weight and continue to get more money to increase the size of the uselessness - all while never having to show accountability for the money spent - at least none that made sense to anyone with half a brain. The fox is always in charge of the chicken coop.
Thank you for your kind words. I think of all the positions I have taken in my career, the one at the VA was the most painful to leave. I felt bad for the patients I left behind because of the lack of true advocacy and legitimate care - especially for a population that more than deserved and earned the right to receive that care.
You're welcome fren. It was heartbreaking to realize those doctors you put your trust in just let you go undiagnosed. It's comforting to know there's still people like you in the world.
I understand your pain. Forgive those people for they know not what the have done to their own selves. I've been in the Light so I know that of which I speak. https://nibjournal.org/voices/healthcareafternde/
I have forgiven all those who harmed me because when God uses me as an Instrument for one or more of their Love lessons then I AM blessed. In the Light we are all One and there is no such thing as separation of consciousness. What we do to One we do to everyone, most assuredly and especially to ourselves. My story is in that John Hopkins University article along with 17 other people's NDE stories. You can download it for free to read and you can share it if you like.
I'm in western Florida, I'm new to the VA here about 6 months. I've had no problem. The docs have been ok. My wait times small. I'm dental rated and the only battle I'm having is getting my doctor to acknowledge it and authorize an appt. My dental issues are service connected but she is a new doctor here but not to the system. We will see how it goes. I'll probably pay for my own assessment and then give her the paperwork and see if she helps.
And none of those investigations have ever made it to a grand jury and nobody has been subpoenaed. Our government is corrupt as hell.
that's crazy, if we weren't anons i'd def want to hear more. hope it all turns around before they can get you.
I do about the same thing.
Everyone gets two chances to die for our country. Once in the service and then with the VA.
Funny, I just received something from the Virginia VA office asking me to make appointments for my healthcare. Yea I’d rather trust McDonalds with my healthcare….
My late father was 100% disabled and lived out his last 3.5 years at a VA facility. I met some wonderful people who worked there but the system is set up to be a merry-go-round of madness. When my 89 year old father was assaulted by another veteran causing a head injury, boy was I given the run around. They quickly moved him to a memory unit from regular nursing care.
My father was seen at the VA hospital in Norfolk. They gave him a clean bill of health and sent him on his way. He was feeling really bad. My aunt was driving him home and decided to have him seen by her physician. Shortly after, he was diagnosed with stage three throat cancer. Within a year he passed away. This is how the government repays a man who did two tours in Vietnam. A man who was such a patriot, he forged my grannies signature and went to war at age 17. And let's not forget the agent orange incident. Thanks government! He handed that down to me as I was born at the end of the war. So, to hell with them! These mthrfkrs got it coming and I pray I'm around to partake in that act. In the meantime, patiently holding the line...
I worked at a VAMC years ago and was appalled at what I saw. Shortly after I arrived there, a vet came in to see me and was very distraught. When I asked what was going on he told me about a very close buddy that had just died the previous day. His buddy died from of an oral cancer that was delayed in being diagnosed by the VA. The vet, like so many others, finally got tired of waiting for the VA to get him a biopsy so he went to an outside physician only to find out that his cancer had metastasized. I never forgot and vowed that it would not happen on my watch.
I kept a list of patients that needed biopsies and what the status on the results were. The medical bureaucracy there was insane. Process is the focus - not patient care. The biggest majority of the patients I was tracking would end up having their appointments cancelled for various reasons and never get rescheduled. I would end up rescheduling the appointments myself. There was one patient of mine that took 9 months to finally get the appropriate biopsy done. Thank God it was a benign growth. Every month, sometimes bimonthly, I went through my list and checked the system to see if there had been a biopsy or the appropriate follow-up with the right specialist. I did this on my own time. It opened up for me a whole different can of worms coming across delayed or ignored treatment.
Soon I had the reputation of being a patient advocate - which put me at odds with the rest of the staff. No one was supposed to rock the boat and I was there to constantly challenge their crappy attitudes of cruising to retirement. I was not seen as a team player - at least not in their sense. After a while, staff meetings were held on days when I was not scheduled and I was kept out of the loop. I understood the frustration of the Vets in dealing with that system. Some Vets ended up in mental care simply because of fighting with the VA to get the care they needed and deserved.
I saw patients that had waited over a year to finally be assigned a PCP - only to lose that PCP and then have to wait again to be assigned to another. So many went to the VA on an emergency basis to be seen. It was a joke. Unfortunately for my patients, I lost my job at the VA. So, they were left scrambling again to find help. This was my only regret about leaving.
When all the crap broke loose about the AZ VAMC, I reached out to the congressional committee chair to pass on what I personally experienced and saw. It was a long haul, but finally Vets were allowed to seek outside help. It does not surprise me that they are trying to roll it back. No doubt the program is making them look bad and they would much prefer to operate in the dark while the Vets suffer in silence. Shameful.
My wife worked at one for six months. She was a n advocate too. 40 plus years in hospitals and she said it was un believable. The union is a big problem there.
The big difference between public and private enterprises like the VA, is that the product they produce is the process. Private industry is profit driven - don't make a profit, don't stay in business. Public is not based on any discernable product of any value. It is all about developing a process that somehow justifies a paycheck and existence. Most of the processes don't produce anything of real value in a practical way - such as patient care. But it looks good on paper - or so say the other government entities all doing the same. The people within the system cannot see the insanity of it all. Americans defrauding other Americans for a paycheck and thinking they provide a service.
The VAMC where I worked utilized many per diem employees like myself to do actual work. The permanent employees were, for the most part, useless bureaucrats that did as little as possible. Whenever there were inspections and audits to control spending, they would go through the facility and pink slip the per diem grunts to make the books balance. Then slowly they would hire back more per diems to actually get some work done. In addition, by constantly rotating the per diems, they could keep their incompetency hidden. Like all government entities, they have the ability to grow dead weight and continue to get more money to increase the size of the uselessness - all while never having to show accountability for the money spent - at least none that made sense to anyone with half a brain. The fox is always in charge of the chicken coop.
You are a true patriot and imo, a hero. I pray we have more like you rather than against you.
Thank you for your kind words. I think of all the positions I have taken in my career, the one at the VA was the most painful to leave. I felt bad for the patients I left behind because of the lack of true advocacy and legitimate care - especially for a population that more than deserved and earned the right to receive that care.
You're welcome fren. It was heartbreaking to realize those doctors you put your trust in just let you go undiagnosed. It's comforting to know there's still people like you in the world.
I understand your pain. Forgive those people for they know not what the have done to their own selves. I've been in the Light so I know that of which I speak. https://nibjournal.org/voices/healthcareafternde/ I have forgiven all those who harmed me because when God uses me as an Instrument for one or more of their Love lessons then I AM blessed. In the Light we are all One and there is no such thing as separation of consciousness. What we do to One we do to everyone, most assuredly and especially to ourselves. My story is in that John Hopkins University article along with 17 other people's NDE stories. You can download it for free to read and you can share it if you like.
Thanks fren.
never even been in one. they were after me for years just to get monitoring done.
I'm in western Florida, I'm new to the VA here about 6 months. I've had no problem. The docs have been ok. My wait times small. I'm dental rated and the only battle I'm having is getting my doctor to acknowledge it and authorize an appt. My dental issues are service connected but she is a new doctor here but not to the system. We will see how it goes. I'll probably pay for my own assessment and then give her the paperwork and see if she helps.