Many Veterans Praise Care, but All Hate the Wait

WASHINGTON — Marc Schenker, an Air Force veteran in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is having surgery this month to remove a golf-ball-size hernia — but not at a veterans hospital. Mr. Schenker, 67, said he had given up on the Veterans Affairs hospital in Miami after waiting months to get the procedure scheduled and had turned to a private surgeon instead, using Medicare.

“It’s frustrating and infuriating that there are so many dedicated doctors who work for the V.A. but it seems impossible to get to them,” said Mr. Schenker, who served with the Tactical Air Command during Vietnam. “They’re serving too many people.”

In interviews and in hundreds of responses to a questionnaire posted on The New York Times website, veterans around the country expressed frustration with delayed access to care and what many described as an impenetrable and unresponsive bureaucracy at department hospitals and clinics, even as many praised the quality of care they received once they saw doctors.

the VA can’t get doctors because they offer salaries that are at least ONE THIRD LESS than in the private sector hospitals..

Especially difficult to get psychiatrists and primary care doctors—which are already in very short supply all across the country! Why would any doctor after all his training and expense want to get paid one third less than what he could get at any other hospital? fix this one thing and the wait lists go down immediately! The money is there...its management.

Just go to usajobs.gov and type in the search engine for positions “medical” or “physician “ and you will see many, many positions that are open...Just unbelievable! and this idea they only see a few patients a day..that is very rare, many of the docs are slammed with patients all day.Take a look at the nurses’ positions...same thing.

As for all the ‘clerical’ staff...you need them in any system. But to use a DOS operating system for scheduling in 2014...NOw THAT is typical mismanagement! Most excess money goes to needless layers of “middle or upper” management who sit in “meetings” all day and protect their gigs.

Nothing wrong or misleading about that title. I have been using the VA for 11 years and while I havent actually polled other vets, like you have I am sure, most would say the general care is fine its actually receiving that care in a timely fashion thats the problem.

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