Tag Archives: Veterans Affairs

medical news, military news

VA deserves shout out

By JOHN KANELIS / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough has earned a shout out from one of his constituents.

That would be yours truly. Me. Myself.

He said today in the White House press briefing room that more than 1.4 million veterans have received vaccinations to protect them against the COVID-19 coronavirus. Of that total, he said, more than half of us have received both doses of the vaccine, meaning that we’re totally inoculated (or we ought to hope for the best) against a virus that has killed more than 500,000 fellow Americans.

I was able to get vaccinated through the North Texas Veterans Medical Center. The first vaccine required a bit of a wait, but I could spare an hour of my time. The second one was slick and smooth; in and out in 20 minutes.

As a proud Army veteran who signed up with the VA some years ago, I want to thank the Department of Veterans Affairs for the great care it has given me during my enrollment.

I get that Secretary McDonough has been on the job only a short time. He’s the man standing watch now, so he gets the shout out, as do his predecessors.

Thank you.

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Vets health reform stalled by … yep, politics

If you’ll recall when the veterans health care scandal rocked the nation, you’ll also recall high-minded statements by politicians proclaiming veterans’ health care to be their top priority.

By golly, they wouldn’t let politics stand in the way of improving the delivery of health care to veterans.

Fast forward to today. Politics is standing in the way. This is outrageous in the extreme.

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/213222-talks-on-veterans-bill-in-full-meltdown

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has co-authored a bill along with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that would enable veterans to get non-VA health care if the nearest Veterans Administration health facility is more than 40 miles away.

It’s hit a roadblock. Where? In the House of Representatives, where penny-pinching Republicans control the place. They are bickering with Democrats over how to pay for this bill.

There now seems a realistic chance that Congress is going to adjourn for its lengthy summer recess without approving this needed reform.

The veterans health care scandal rocked the nation to its core. Remember that? Remember when we got all twisted up over news of veterans dying in Phoenix, Ariz., because the agency couldn’t deliver health services in a timely fashion? How about the news that the VA was cooking patient logs to cover the backsides of administrators? Didn’t that news send pols and pundits and orbit?

Those lofty declarations of wanting to improve health delivery to vets have given way to the usual partisan bickering, backstabbing and bloviating.

Sanders wants to negotiate a deal with the House. House leaders are critical of Senate Democrats for boycotting meetings to discuss possible changes.

Congress’s approval ratings are low enough as it is. The politicians who serve in both congressional chambers know the consequence of those poll numbers. They could cost them their jobs this fall. And for what? Because they cannot settle on legislation that four months ago everyone said had to get done … no matter what.

Get it done, ladies and gentlemen of Capitol Hill.

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VA scandal: worse than we thought

You’re probably wondering: Will the bad news ever stop piling up on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs?

I know this: I’m wondering when it’ll stop.

CNN uncovered a major scoop this week with revelations that the Phoenix, Ariz., VA clinic had covered up the number of veterans who died because of too-long wait times to obtain health care.

The number of deaths is worse than we thought!

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/23/us/phoenix-va-deaths-new-allegations/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Until the Veterans Affairs Department, the White House and the president of the United States himself get to the bottom of this mess and fix it, I am going to be leery whenever I go to the Amarillo VA hospital and clinic for my routine checkups.

The Thomas Creek Veterans Medical Center in Amarillo hasn’t been fingered specifically in any of this investigation. The problems with wait times, though, appear to run throughout the vast VA health care network.

Whistleblower Pauline DeWenter told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that “deceased” notes on patients were removed from files to make the clinic’s job performance look better. As CNN.com reports: “DeWenter should know. DeWenter is the actual scheduling clerk at the Phoenix VA who said for the better part of a year she was ordered by supervisors to manage and handle the so-called ‘secret waiting list,’ where veterans’ names of those seeking medical care were often placed, sometimes left for months with no care at all.”

The government has said for decades that veterans deserve the best medical care possible. They’re not getting it. Even though I, too, am a veteran I’ve been blessed with good health, so I’ll refer to the vets in jeopardy as “they” or “them.”

Until we get this situation repaired to everyone’s satisfaction, I am going to pray for the good health of all veterans who seek medical care every one of our VA clinics. That includes the Thomas Creek VA Medical Center right here in good ol’ Amarillo, Texas.

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Silver lining in VA scandal?

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You know, there might be a glimmer peeking through the dark cloud covering the Department of Veterans Affairs.

It well might be that the still-growing scandal over veterans’ health care can remind Americans of why on Monday we celebrate Memorial Day and Veterans Day, which we’ll commemorate this coming November.

It is to honor the heroes who have died in battle and to put the needs of ailing veterans at the top of our national priority list.

The editorial link from my hometown newspaper, The Oregonian, spells it out quite nicely.

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/05/put_veterans_first_this_memori.html

Memorial Day has become a time for backyard barbecues, trips to the park with the kids, watching sports on TV or heading to the stadium to see it in person. That’s all fine.

It’s also a time for reflection. Shouldn’t we take time to reflect on those who aren’t here to enjoy these activities because they, well, died in defense of our country?

As for the VA scandal, the revelations that have come to light should enlighten us about the struggles many of our veterans encounter as they seek medical care.

The president of the United States has made a solemn vow to get to the root of what happened at the Phoenix VA hospital where an estimated 40 vets died awaiting health care. Let’s hope he finds those answers and then acts decisively and promptly to correct what has gone so horribly wrong for far too long.

What can the rest of us do? Just keep our veterans — particularly those who are ailing and who depend on the VA to care for them — in our thoughts and prayers.

And be sure to offer a word of thanks.

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VA honcho quits

The health care scandal at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has claimed its first administrative victim.

Or has it?

Robert Petzel, the VA’s top health official, quit on Friday. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki accepted his resignation.

But wait.

Petzel had announced his intention to leave the department before news broke about the scandal in Phoenix, where veteran reportedly have died while awaiting health care.

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/05/veterans-affairs-resign-robert-petzel-health-official-scandal-106772.html?hp=l13

The White House has dispatched its deputy chief of staff to conduct a top-to-bottom review of Veterans Affairs health practices in light of this unfolding scandal. Shinseki has said he’s “mad as hell,” as has President Obama.

At issue is the wait time for veterans, who were supposed to be on an expedited list to receive health care, but instead were delayed at times for weeks and months. What’s more, the VA concocted bogus data that purported to show the vets were experiencing “normal” wait times. Turns out they weren’t, not by a long shot.

House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., called Petzel’s resignation the “pinnacle of political doublespeak,” given that he had already planned to leave the department. He said his announcement “doesn’t pass the smell test.”

Someone needs to pass the air freshener.