Posted on 11/20/2013 10:09:07 AM PST by kristinn
Columbia, South Carolina (CNN) -- Military veterans are dying needlessly because of long waits and delayed care at U.S. veterans hospitals, a CNN investigation has found.
What's worse, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is aware of the problems and has done almost nothing to effectively prevent veterans dying from delays in care, according to documents obtained by CNN and interviews with numerous experts.
The problem has been especially dire at the Williams Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Medical Center in Columbia, South Carolina. There, veterans waiting months for simple gastrointestinal procedures -- such as a colonoscopy or endoscopy -- have been dying because their cancers aren't caught in time.
The VA has confirmed six deaths at Dorn tied to delays...(deaths) at this facility could be more than 20.
SNIP
CNN's repeated requests for interviews with the VA have been denied. Even Congress has had its requests for information ignored, Miller said.
"But unfortunately, if they treat members of Congress ... this way, imagine how they treat the average veteran out there," said Miller. "I can imagine the grief they may be going through."
The VA said in a statement to CNN, "The Department of Veterans Affairs is committed to providing the best quality, safe and effective health care our Veterans have earned and deserve. We take seriously any issue that occurs at one of the more than 1,700 health care facilities across the country. The consult delay at Dorn VAMC has been resolved."
The statement added that cases are now tracked daily, and additional staff members were hired.
But sources at Dorn -- both patients and medical staff -- tell CNN that's just not true. The problems continue, and veterans are still facing delays that could be killing them.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
my two bill's who have Va....neither of them lifers...one served 8 yrs the other 6....have had to wait and wait and wait to get surgeries...one is still waiting...and after many months the other is finally getting his gb out...
ping
The policy is deny, delay, deny, delay, approve. The doctors will then say that if treatment was started sooner, the patient may have recovered. So sorry for your loss.
Next.
Wow. Parse that statement out of the VA and think like an Obama. Yes, they believe our veterans are receiving the care they deserve. How despicable!
the problem with our country is that they can’t see that the VA and Indian Reservations are totally run as a socialist program with terrible results. The cause and affect of REAL WORLD in America is not see by the low information folks.
Welcome to government controlled health (wealth?) systems.
VA HealthCare meets Affordable Care Act requirements. For Information visit VA’s website at www.va.gov/aca or call 1-877-222-VETS (8387).
Taken right from a VA appointment card. I’ve been calling for the last few days to cancel an appointment for my dad as he is currently in physical rehab due to injuries related to the VA prescribing the wrong medicine to him and not properly following up. By the way they don’t answer their phone.
God help us all.
There is a shortage of GI docs to do the scopes. Money was thrown at the issue but administrators didn’t do the smart thing and just refer them downtown. Hiring anyone takes months and they didn’t find a doc to fill the position.
That’s the word on the street anyway.
“Cheaper than Chimps....”
“In all fairness, it was after 2002 when the wars really kicked off (Iraq didn’t start until March 03).........”
Curious as to why you think you must be fair with asshats that have no desire to be fair with you, much less anybody that doesn’t knuckle under to their abusiveness.
Seems to me the VA is being used today as a pawn in this ideological war against our Constitution thus we the people, and our warriors.
“......and then began to add more and more to the VA’s workload”
The Obama Administration chose to cut services to our warriors instead of expanding the VA to serve them. Which is right? I believe the VA should be expanded to serve our military injured, and ill. I believe that should at least make up for the lousey pay, and the lousey situations these people albeit they volunteer for, are subjected to.
I as a veteran, and a taxpayer would love to see so many other departments of the executive, and their supporting bureaucracies of use primarily to Professional Politicians cut out of existance, and if necessary that money sent to put the lives of our veterans back together again.
I as a combat wounded veteran that just went through a medical separation, acknowledged the truth, eg in all fairness, which was we had a larger influx of troops after 2002, and troops were more likely to get injured/wounded once combat operations commenced - vice in peace time.
Further, while a lot of things were cut, the VA had a one year+ backlog of cases and hired MORE contractors to handle the workload. The VA was also put on a timeline by law to handle cases like medical boards. And I know from personal experience as I just completed the process.
Don't get me wrong - much of the VA is like the military's version of the DMV. And I agree with getting rid of much of the fedzilla's largesse like the ATF, DOT, DOE (both), etc
However, if we are going to discuss it and advocate for an increase in VA funding and workers to support wounded and injured service members, we also need to acknowledge why we need to do that.
Further, comparing 2002 to post OIF/OEF is apples to oranges unless you're demonstrating the increase in troops and the increase in casualties.
To add to that, guys that are serving now, and processing out, and in immediate need are the priority.
“To add to that, guys that are serving now, and processing out, and in immediate need are the priority.”
Agree. Expand the services. Stay on top of these Democrat asshats that hate the military, and make them do what is right, or vote them out.
I might be out of date to you young whippersnappers as I was US Army about 50 Years ago. Gimme a break, but I do believe in a strong military, and strong support of the military if we are to be free.
My understanding is everyone else (earlier vets) was "supposed" to be "in the system" and "established," so they plus'd up to handle the backlog of guys getting out now.
That said, there was a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth in the press (surprisingly) prior to the plus up of contractors for the VA.
I might be out of date to you young whippersnappers as I was US Army about 50 Years ago. Gimme a break, but I do believe in a strong military, and strong support of the military if we are to be free.
No worries here, FRiend. I don't fault you. I was just trying to lay out an honest version of what was going on, or at least what is supposed to be happening.
Thank you for your service, and happy belated Veterans' Day.
ping..
You’re so wrong. I started working with the VA in 1979. It’s the SOS now that it’s always been.
VA hospitals and VAROs differ widely and wildly in their standard of care, medically and administratively. Dorn is one of the worst I personally know of. There’s a commonality within the systems of the poorest run.
Agreed, once you get to a Dr. you can’t beat VA docs, it’s the getting there that is the problem.
I had a rapidly growing tumor in my leg. VA Dr found that a leftover piece of shrapnel had somehow triggered a rejection response in my leg after 40 yrs. The tumor grew at a fantastic rate doubling in size every few months. The VA surgeon and tumor specialist they called in said it needed to be removed ASAP. Even with their urgent request surgery was scheduled 11 months out. The growth rate would have made walking impossible within a few months. I ended up going to outside the VA system, had it removed within weeks for a 100% service connected issue that VA Docs wanted to fix, but couldn’t get the scheduling within their own system.
VA hospitals and VAROs differ widely and wildly in their standard of care, medically and administrative
Yup. Not all of them have the same level of care. Same with non-VA hospitals. Some are great,,,like Johns Hopkins, some are crap, and most fall in between. They have very good care but aren’t super great like Hopkins.
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