Posted on 05/05/2014 1:27:18 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
A Veterans Affairs hospital in Colorado falsified the wait times faced by thousands of its patients—the second VA facility to be found cooking its books in what has become a national scandal—USA Today reports:
Clerks at the Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Fort Collins were instructed last year how to falsify appointment records so it appeared the small staff of doctors was seeing patients within the agency’s goal of 14 days, according to the investigation.
A copy of the findings by the VA’s Office of Medical Inspector was provided to USA TODAY.
Many of the 6,300 veterans treated at the outpatient clinic waited months to be seen. If the clerical staff allowed records to reflect that veterans waited longer than 14 days, they were punished by being placed on a “bad boy list,” the report shows.
“Employees reported that scheduling was ‘fixed,’ ” the findings say. […]
While investigators found that VA policies were violated, local medical leaders concluded that the violations were the result of confusion, and no disciplinary action was taken, says a VA statement released Saturday.
Last week whistleblowers came forward with evidence that a VA hospital in Phoenix used a secret list to hide egregious wait times from officials in Washington. At least 40 patients died from delays in treatment.
Three Phoenix VA officials were placed on administrative leave last Thursday following allegations that the hospital was destroying evidence.
The VA Inspector General is conducting an investigation of the whistleblower claims, as is a congressional committee.
They “hid” this from Washington but the people that did it always got a promotion. things that make you say hmmmmm
I wonder how long this has been going on?
And IF answer is a very long time has it gotten worse in the last 5 years?
And IF yes to that has it gotten even worse with OCare?
This disgusts me beyond words. It is a one of the very few things I don’t mind paying higher taxes for. Our veterans, our active military and of course our police and firefighters.
I spent 24 years in the military. USN and USNR, day for day 17 years and five months.
I have had an inguinal hernia since )ctober 2012.
I still have it, untreated.
The ones making the appointments should not be the ones to get blames. The bosses and management are the ones to get the blame here.
Why is it that there is money for welfare for the illegal aliens and not for Veterans.
Is everyone corrupt?
This is s red herring. THe VA has been a poor health care system since long before I knew anything about them in nursing school and that was a long time ago.
Obamacare will make the VA system look like the Mayo Clinic.
Just geeze. It’s not like Obamacare won’t falsify on top of its sheer incompetence.
Sounds just as good as Obamacare.
It’s sad, so very sad. Illegal aliens get all kinds of freebies and veterans get a waiting list.
Yes, and it is not looking like this was all caused by a couple of rogue medical receptionists in Phoenix. Looks like they were set up to do this, system-wide.
“Why is it that there is money for welfare for the illegal aliens and not for Veterans.”
Because a lot more welfare gibsmedats vote. I couldn’t imagine how this country can pay for the care for all of the people returning with head injuries from IEDs (for just one type); when these cases started coming back years ago I wondered the same thing. The sheer number of so many wounded, and the relative young age, would have a staggering cost...
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