Second VA doctor whistle blower, VA admins destroying patient evidence and documents

[Oldgamer]

Link to video and article

Patients literally dying while waiting for care in VA ER's due to lack of staff and adequate resources. The cut backs have had a tremendous impact. The VA admins moved to silence her. She looked for places to hide documents because they were shredding and destroying evidence before a investigation by congress and officials.

 

[dank69]

Trying to understand what possible motive anyone would have for concealing the fact that they are understaffed. Only thing I can come up with is that someone is getting bonuses for keeping costs low.

 

[waggy]

yeah it's a fucking disgusting story. It also amazes me that those in health care could do that.

 

[Jaepheth]

Trying to understand what possible motive anyone would have for concealing the fact that they are understaffed. Only thing I can come up with is that someone is getting bonuses for keeping costs low.

Mitchell said she fought for improved veterans care within the system, warning that Emergency Department patients were in jeopardy and, more recently, that suicides had escalated amid a shortage of mental-health staffers.She said she was transferred, suspended and reprimanded.

Sounds like pressure to keep quiet is coming from the top.

My bet would be there's massive political pressure on top administrators to keep the problems hidden so they can justify maintaining a low budget, or continue slashing the budget without public outcry.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Trying to understand what possible motive anyone would have for concealing the fact that they are understaffed. Only thing I can come up with is that someone is getting bonuses for keeping costs low.

Because they will be punished. You are supposed to believe that everything is wonderful. If you complain you can be fired. Oh, not for that directly but everyone does something which can be acted against. I'm dealing with this now. We're understaffed and it's our fault that people are unhappy. We're not showing the proper attitude with customer service, and several have been coincidentally fired who complain, for unrelated things of course. Unrelated and completely specious. It's the same with government and business. Those who make policy are always right and those who don't make the impossible happen are always to blame.

 

[TerryMathews]

Trying to understand what possible motive anyone would have for concealing the fact that they are understaffed. Only thing I can come up with is that someone is getting bonuses for keeping costs low.

Ding ding ding. http://m.washingtonpost.com/politic...745750-d0af-11e3-9e25-188ebe1fa93b_story.html

 

[smackababy]

This isn't really surprising for me. The VA hospitals are notorious for being absolute garbage. The mentality that we should let people who serve our country return home and get some of the worst care available is pretty disgusting, but it has been going on for years.

 

[OutHouse]

The cut backs have had a tremendous impact.

meanwhile we send BILLIONS to foreign governments and aid programs that don't work.

 

[JManInPhoenix]

The VA strikes again. Generally speaking, VA hospitals are underfunded with overworked staff so people will fall through the cracks. I am very glad I don't have to rely on the VA for my healthcare.

 

[dank69]

Because they will be punished. You are supposed to believe that everything is wonderful. If you complain you can be fired. Oh, not for that directly but everyone does something which can be acted against. I'm dealing with this now. We're understaffed and it's our fault that people are unhappy. We're not showing the proper attitude with customer service, and several have been coincidentally fired who complain, for unrelated things of course. Unrelated and completely specious. It's the same with government and business. Those who make policy are always right and those who don't make the impossible happen are always to blame.

I understand the whole power trip thing and I could see this being a problem in the private sector where profits are king, but I would think this would be like every other government program where the goal is to constantly lobby for bigger budgets. You know the typical scenario where they scramble to make sure they use every penny in this year's budget so it doesn't get cut next year.

 

[shortylickens]

The VA strikes again. Generally speaking, VA hospitals are underfunded with overworked staff so people will fall through the cracks. I am very glad I don't have to rely on the VA for my healthcare.

Since I got student insurance I dont go back to them anymore.

They still owe me for services from 2 years ago. My representative keeps going on vacation and getting surgeries and such. Apparently he too is disabled.

 

[dank69]

The VA strikes again. Generally speaking, VA hospitals are underfunded with overworked staff so people will fall through the cracks. I am very glad I don't have to rely on the VA for my healthcare.

My father has never complained about the VA in CT. Seems to me like he gets better care than most from what I have seen.

 

[Incorruptible]

Not surprised at all. The people responsible need to be held accountable. This is the problem with bureaucracy and big government.

 

[shortylickens]

My father has never complained about the VA in CT. Seems to me like he gets better care than most from what I have seen.

It varies a LOT by location. Despite being federally funded it often seems that small, middle class states and cities tend to get better V.A. hospitals than poor, high-density cities.
I think it has a lot to do with congressmen scratching each others backs.

There are assloads of veterans in the DC area but the DC hospital is garbage. Which is shameful cuz its our nations capital.

 

[unokitty]

Never had to use a VA hospital. But I did have to use the VA to get my GI Bill.

Often, I had to get the local Congressional Rep's staff involved to get the VA to process my paperwork so that I could get a check.

One semester it was particularly bad and our part time on campus VA rep went up to the regional office in Chicago to get a better grasp of the problem.

They told him that the person that handled the GI Bill applications for everyone whose name began with an A through G had quit.

And they just left all of the applications pile up on that person's old desk.

No joke. They actually took him by the desk and showed him all of the stacked up GI Bill applications that no one was processing...

No one in the Regional Office cared... The guy quit. And when 4 p.m. rolled around, they just went home...

That said, our local on campus VA Rep was wonderful. One semester, Charlie even made a personal loan to me so that I would have enough money to register...

Uno
Sentry Dog Handler
US Army 69-71

 

[Oldgamer]

meanwhile we send BILLIONS to foreign governments and aid programs that don't work.

Yes and let' s not forget our own congressional reps wanting to vote to give themselves a bigger pay raise, and cut back their working hours in congress even more.

The vote to give tons of dollars (billions) in subsidies to big corporations, and banks big profit breaks, but won't invest in our Veterans.

 

[OutHouse]

Never had to use a VA hospital. But I did have to use the VA to get my GI Bill.

Often, I had to get the local Congressional Rep's staff involved to get the VA to process my paperwork so that I could get a check.

One semester it was particularly bad and our part time on campus VA rep went up to the regional office in Chicago to get a better grasp of the problem.

They told him that the person that handled the GI Bill applications for everyone whose name began with an A through G had quit.

And they just left all of the applications pile up on that person's old desk.

No joke. They actually took him by the desk and showed him all of the stacked up GI Bill applications that no one was processing...

No one in the Regional Office cared... The guy quit. And when 4 p.m. rolled around, they just went home...

That said, our local on campus VA Rep was wonderful. One semester, Charlie even made a personal loan to me so that I would have enough money to register...

Uno
Sentry Dog Handler
US Army 69-71

thanks for sharing this.

 

[smackababy]

My father has never complained about the VA in CT. Seems to me like he gets better care than most from what I have seen.

Your father is one of the lucky ones then. And I hope he never develops any mental health issues, because those are by far the worse.


I am certainly glad I've never had to deal with the VA after getting out of the military for anything other than getting my records.

 

[waggy]

Never had to use a VA hospital. But I did have to use the VA to get my GI Bill.

Often, I had to get the local Congressional Rep's staff involved to get the VA to process my paperwork so that I could get a check.

One semester it was particularly bad and our part time on campus VA rep went up to the regional office in Chicago to get a better grasp of the problem.

They told him that the person that handled the GI Bill applications for everyone whose name began with an A through G had quit.

And they just left all of the applications pile up on that person's old desk.

No joke. They actually took him by the desk and showed him all of the stacked up GI Bill applications that no one was processing...

No one in the Regional Office cared... The guy quit. And when 4 p.m. rolled around, they just went home...

That said, our local on campus VA Rep was wonderful. One semester, Charlie even made a personal loan to me so that I would have enough money to register...

Uno
Sentry Dog Handler
US Army 69-71

wow. thats amazing. good for him for the loan though!

 

[smackababy]

wow. thats amazing. good for him for the loan though!

It seems like a lot of the people who work for the VA are great people (I know a few doctors that volunteer to treat patients, psychological stuff mostly), but the people running things and making decisions are the people running it into the ground.

 

[rpanic]

It’s a two sided coin. I have seen a lot of BS at the VA. If they didn’t have so many vets committing fraud by claiming disabilities that have nothing to do with serving they would be ok financially. I have also seen veterans with serious to life threatening issues being stalled. The Vets filling fraudulent claims are also causing huge backlogs that are hurting people that really do need help.

 

[BoomerD]

I got pissed at the VA hospital the first time I went there after Vietnam. FUCK YOU! I told them. I've refused to have anything to do with them since.

Fuck the US Veteran's Administration. It's all about the money...and NOT about the care for our wounded warriors.

 

[dank69]

It’s a two sided coin. I have seen a lot of BS at the VA. If they didn’t have so many vets committing fraud by claiming disabilities that have nothing to do with serving they would be ok financially. I have also seen veterans with serious to life threatening issues being stalled. The Vets filling fraudulent claims are also causing huge backlogs that are hurting people that really do need help.

I was under the impression that vets are covered for everything and anything...

 

[smackababy]

I was under the impression that vets are covered for everything and anything...

No. In order to use a VA hospital you have to have at least 30% VA disability. And, what that percentage is seems to be random. A friend of mine was medically discharged after he tore his ACL and MCL while performing some training exercise and like 4 surgeries later still can't run or jog and got 10%. I know another guy who just had "bad knees" and he has 100%. Sleep apnea or narcolepsy is also automatically 50%.


And, for people complaining about the "fraud", servicemen (at least, every single one I've talked with) are highly encouraged to submit a claim if they sustained any injury during service. These are VA representatives that tell members getting out or retiring this.

 

[rpanic]

I was under the impression that vets are covered for everything and anything...

They are for the most part. I was referring to the fake disability claims that pay out 3k plus tax free a month and a host of other benefits.

Here is a link to people complaining about it.
http://disabilityhappens.com/how-where-to-report-va-abuse-and-fraud.html