Jimmy John's employee drives veteran to hospital (trunc)

A phone call to a wrong number in Nebraska delivered just what a man in pain needed: a ride to a hospital...Her brother is a veteran living on disability and didn't have Department of Veterans Affairs' approval to call an ambulance, she said. He also couldn't afford a taxi to a hospital, she said...It took Nagengast a little while to realize she hadn't reached her brother's social worker... Voss called delivery driver Zach Hillmer, who picked up Holeman and drove him to a hospital emergency room. Hillmer, a U.S. Navy veteran, said it was a privilege to help a fellow military man.

Hi, 2CAVTrooper, from 399th Combat Support Hospital flight nurse. Yes, I am a veteran, and also a current VA employee.

I did, in fact, go to "Ranger Up" and watched exactly 3:52 minutes of "The Wizard of VA" which appears to be a cartoon on par with SouthPark in terms of stupidity. I'm not quite sure why you find this to be a valid resource for anything even remotely approaching VA care, so let's have a reality check, shall we?

I have searched deep into the dark dusty corners of my mind and have no recollection of the last time I (or anyone I know) was greeted at a VA facility by witches picketing me (or anyone I know) about how they hope I (or anyone I know) dies from whatever the military did to me. Are you mixing up the disgraceful reception that Vietnam era veterans got when they arrived home with the reception veterans get at VA facilities today?

Also, just sayin.....there are no welfare and "obama-phone" offices at VA hospitals.

Permission to call an ambulance? SURELY you jest. It would have taken you (and ANY of the naysayers on this thread) a total of about 0.7 seconds to google the FACT that a veteran doesn't need VA permission to call an ambulance: VA Emergency Care Fact Sheet

Let's also look a bit more at the details missing in this version of this article. Here's the local article...not the Associated Press version: The Kansas City Star You might also make note of the fact that the surgery was NOT done at a VA hospital, but at Nebraska Medical Center. When his surgical wound was infected (as evidenced by increased pain, pus in the wound and his leg going numb a few days after surgery) that has to do with the caliber of care at the hospital that did the surgery....nothing at all related to the VA.

Also this, directly copied from the article: "She wrote that her brother, who lives on disability, couldn’t afford a cab and thought he couldn’t call 911 for an ambulance without prior authorization from the VA" The veteran THOUGHT he couldn't call 911. Well, the veteran THOUGHT wrong. The fact that he didn't know that is the fault of whoever gave him his discharge instructions at the hospital. Nebraska Medical Center, that is.

Now I will be the first to admit that the VA does a fine job getting egg on its face sometimes, but I also firmly stand by the fact that the VA has some of the best healthcare in the world, and I can say this seeing the VA from both perspectives. FWIW, I had a surgery similar to (but more complex) than this veteran's surgery....I was in the hospital for 6 days after my surgery. It took nearly 7 years to get Blue Cross to finally authorize the surgery, during which time I lived with nearly debilitating pain and had over $5000 in out of pocket medical bills for a surgery that was fully authorized.

One thing you will get NO ARGUMENT AT ALL from me on is that the red tape of getting into the VA system can be ridiculous .....almost as bad as dealing with pre-existing conditions for regular healthcare, and waiting periods, and exclusions, and premiums, and generic vs brand name drugs, and prior authorizations, and by golly, gee whiz......just a whole lot of baloney to nearly EVERYTHING related to healthcare, both inside of and outside of the VA, isn't there? Let a simple typo be made when someone is being put into the VA computer system, and it takes weeks to months or more to get it corrected. It sounds like you have had some difficulties within the VA system, and as both a veteran and a VA employee, I feel for you and wish that weren't so. Likewise, there are millions of people (like the one writing this post) who have had major problems with healthcare outside of the VA system. "If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor....." /sarc>

Thank you for your service.

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