Time for VA Secretary Eric Shinseki to RESIGN

This is the tip of the VA "iceberg".  Twenty-six other VA Facilities are under investigation.

Quote :

(CNN) -- An initial review of the Veterans Affairs medical facility in Phoenix has found multiple unofficial wait lists of veterans seeking care and 1,700 veterans not on any list but also waiting to be seen, according to an agency watchdog.

The preliminary report submitted to senior VA officials and to Congress by Richard Griffin, the agency's acting inspector general, is the first independent word since lawmakers and the White House demanded answers this month on the controversy over allegations of delayed care nationwide.

The report also found "numerous allegations" of "daily of mismanagement, inappropriate hiring decisions, sexual harassment, and bullying behavior by mid- and senior-level managers" at the Phoenix facility.

The complete story at CNN

It's not like the VA is looking around for money to fulfill their obligations to Veterans either:

"VA expects to carry over $450 million in medical-care funding from fiscal year 2014 to fiscal year 2015. VA received its full requested medical care appropriation of $54.6 billion this fiscal year, which is more than $10 billion more than it received four years ago.

This is part of an ongoing trend.

VA carried over $1.449 billion in medical-care funding from fiscal year 2010 to 2011, $1.163 billion from fiscal year 2011 to fiscal year 2012, $637 million from fiscal year 2012 to 2013, and $543 million from fiscal year 2013 to 2014.

The Daily Caller reported that VA spent more than $3.5 million on furniture the night before the government shutdown on the last day of fiscal year 2013 so as not to lose that money in the department’s budget the next fiscal year."

It's time for SOMEONE to be held responsible. With all the surplus funds laying around the VA centers could very easily send Vet's to civilian facilities for treatment.

What I read about doctor caseloads HAS to be a stretch, but I read that VA doctors (some doctors?) see 2 patients a day, while doctors in the real world see upwards of a dozen. I hope like hell I interpreted or read this wrong.

We can't be paying doctors to be this damn lazy. Tell me it ain't so, Joe.

Is there any numbers that show the total number of doctors compared to the number of patients they ACTUALLY see?

Eric wrote:

What I read about doctor caseloads HAS to be a stretch, but I read that VA doctors (some doctors?) see 2 patients a day, while doctors in the real world see upwards of a dozen.  I hope like hell I interpreted or read this wrong.

We can't be paying doctors to be this damn lazy.  Tell me it ain't so, Joe.

Is there any numbers that show the total number of doctors compared to the number of patients they ACTUALLY see?

There are something like 14,000 VA Dr's but I suspect patient loading varies by location - looking at the VA recruiting spiel tells me a lot - like they don't have to worry about being sued for improper care:

At Work:
With predictable schedules, a virtually paperless work environment, and no billing hassles, our physicians have the time to thrive professionally and get closer to their patients. They enjoy long-term relationships with Veterans of all ages, most of whom will rely on VA caregivers for the rest of their lives. And, the burden of liability protection is also lifted from our physicians' shoulders, as they do not need to purchase malpractice insurance; nor do they have to worry about "tail" insurance coverage if they leave VA employment. Read more.

At Rest:
A well-rested medical staff has a direct impact on producing positive patient outcomes. So in addition to predictable schedules, VA physicians earn 26 days of paid annual (vacation/personal) leave starting their first year and may accumulate up to 86 days.

nochain wrote:

Eric wrote:

What I read about doctor caseloads HAS to be a stretch, but I read that VA doctors (some doctors?) see 2 patients a day, while doctors in the real world see upwards of a dozen.  I hope like hell I interpreted or read this wrong.

We can't be paying doctors to be this damn lazy.  Tell me it ain't so, Joe.

Is there any numbers that show the total number of doctors compared to the number of patients they ACTUALLY see?

There are something like 14,000 VA Dr's but I suspect patient loading varies by location - looking at the VA recruiting spiel tells me a lot - like they don't have to worry about being sued for improper care:

At Work:
With predictable schedules, a virtually paperless work environment, and no billing hassles, our physicians have the time to thrive professionally and get closer to their patients. They enjoy long-term relationships with Veterans of all ages, most of whom will rely on VA caregivers for the rest of their lives. And, the burden of liability protection is also lifted from our physicians' shoulders, as they do not need to purchase malpractice insurance; nor do they have to worry about "tail" insurance coverage if they leave VA employment. Read more.

At Rest:
A well-rested medical staff has a direct impact on producing positive patient outcomes. So in addition to predictable schedules, VA physicians earn 26 days of paid annual (vacation/personal) leave starting their first year and may accumulate up to 86 days.

There are or should be NO excuses...In 2008 then candidate (cowh) campaigned on this issue and went after President Bush for the 'deplorable' conditions at Walter Reed...This was a horrible situation but heads did roll...The cowh also added that if elected he would 'fix' the situation and veteran medical services would be second to none...And yet six plus years in and Nancy Pelosi continue to blame Bush...

Now with Jeff Miller calling for his resignation and (laughably) asking Holder for a criminal investigation (like Holder is going to do anything) it appears Shinseki's days might be numbered.

nochain wrote:

Now with Jeff Miller calling for his resignation and (laughably) asking Holder for a criminal investigation (like Holder is going to do anything) it appears Shinseki's days might be numbered.

There are some democrats calling too...

But the illegal aliens still get treated at Sacred Heart's ER and pay with bad checks.. The cost is added on to the bills of the rest of us.... It's nationwide, not just Pensacola...

Well now he's gone and of course BHO stated that the problems were unknown to him or Shinseki. Imagine that, the "unknowing" President AGAIN - he is so full of crap it's no longer even mildly funny.

"President Barack Obama said Friday that he decided to accept Eric Shinseki's resignation after previously supporting his Veterans Affairs secretary because of Shinseki's "belief that he would be a distraction from" making the needed fixes to the troubled VA medical system.

Obama said problems with VA reporting systems "did not surface to the level" where Shinseki or the White House were aware of them."

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/30/politics/va-hospitals-shinseki/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Interesting, now BHO's public lie person - Jay Carney - is resigning. Probably got sick of throwing up after spinning all the lies he has told to protect the Liar-in-Chief.

Today, I read an interview with a VA doctor that made it look like the VA doctor pool was shrinking and that doctors were overworked and in short supply.

It would be interesting to see what their caseloads really are.

I'll see what I can dig up while I'm resting.

My eye doctors in Biloxi are very busy every time I go. They suggested I go to New Orleans for my next eye surgery. When I told them it would be a logistical hardship for me to go to New Orleans , they said they could send me to a civilian doctor to have it done. Maybe some doctors in the VA are slackers but the folks I go to sure seem to always be busy.

hallmarkgrad wrote:

My eye doctors in Biloxi are very busy every time I go.  They suggested I go to New Orleans for my next eye surgery.  When I told them it would be a logistical hardship for me to go to New Orleans , they said they could send me to a civilian  doctor to have it done.   Maybe some doctors in the VA  are slackers but the folks I go to sure seem to always be busy.  

HG, you KNOW that I will be happy to drive you over to N'awlins (my nickel).  I am retired and would consider it an honor to help a good guy like you.  (Remember, you cut a hole into a tank on my boat and crawled inside the tank...)

Thanks. I will call on you if I ever too. My. Eye seems to have stabilized so the jury is out right now. Your help makes life a lot better Thanks again for the offer

Eric wrote:

This is the tip of the VA "iceberg".  Twenty-six other VA Facilities are under investigation.

Quote :

(CNN) -- An initial review of the Veterans Affairs medical facility in Phoenix has found multiple unofficial wait lists of veterans seeking care and 1,700 veterans not on any list but also waiting to be seen, according to an agency watchdog.

The preliminary report submitted to senior VA officials and to Congress by Richard Griffin, the agency's acting inspector general, is the first independent word since lawmakers and the White House demanded answers this month on the controversy over allegations of delayed care nationwide.

The report also found "numerous allegations" of "daily of mismanagement, inappropriate hiring decisions, sexual harassment, and bullying behavior by mid- and senior-level managers" at the Phoenix facility.

The complete story at CNN

I just reposted this post because of the picture of Bernie Sanders and the wisdom of the statement that is attached. You know, all that oil money from Iraq and Afghanistan was going to fund those two wars and they just were not going to cost us anything.
Looks like they will be costing us plenty for years to come.

Now let me see, just what did they accomplish?

Otter wrote:

I just reposted this post because of the picture of Bernie Sanders and the wisdom of the statement that is attached. You know, all that oil money from Iraq and Afghanistan was going to fund those two wars and they just were not going to cost us anything.

Looks like they will be costing us plenty for years to come.

Now let me see, just what did they accomplish?

We didn't accomplish a damn thing... other than to prove to the world that the U.S.A. jumped arrogantly into the Middle East and destabilized the region. Saddam Hussein was no choir boy, but wasn't Iraq more stable under his thumb than it is now?

Sure, we got Saddam and bin Laden and thinned the ranks of al Qaeda, but we stoked the fires of Jihad amongst the populace at the cost of 4-6 TRILLION dollars, over 6,000 precious American lives and many civilian lives as "collateral damage".

Eric wrote:

Otter wrote:

I just reposted this post because of the picture of Bernie Sanders and the wisdom of the statement that is attached. You know, all that oil money from Iraq and Afghanistan was going to fund those two wars and they just were not going to cost us anything.

Looks like they will be costing us plenty for years to come.

Now let me see, just what did they accomplish?

We didn't accomplish a damn thing... other than to prove to the world that the U.S.A. jumped arrogantly into the Middle East and destabilized the region.  Saddam Hussein was no choir boy, but wasn't Iraq more stable under his thumb than it is now?

Sure, we got Saddam and bin Laden and thinned the ranks of al Qaeda, but we stoked the fires of Jihad amongst the populace at the cost of 4-6 TRILLION dollars, over 6,000 precious American lives and many civilian lives as "collateral damage".

We never should have invaded either country, Bush made a grave strategic mistake. I fought in Desert Storm and that one was justified, it was also ended properly - leaving Saddam Insane alive was a smart move, better the devil you know in his case. Besides his insanity drove the Iranians nuts which was good for us. It's instructive though to recall the mood of the country (along with Congress) right after 9/11 occurred, a lot of people wanted action and revenge. Sometimes you get what you ask for but it's not what you expected. Isn't 20-20 hindsight a grand thing?

HuffPo says:

Quote :

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 57,000 veterans have been waiting for up to three months for medical appointments, the Veterans Affairs Department said in a wide-ranging audit released Monday. An additional 64,000 who enrolled for VA health care over the past decade have never been seen by a doctor, according to the audit.

The audit is the first nationwide look at the VA network in the uproar that began with reports two months ago of patients dying while awaiting appointments and of cover-ups at the Phoenix VA center. Examining 731 VA hospitals and large outpatient clinics, the audit found long wait times across the country for patients seeking their first appointments with both primary care doctors and specialists.

The audit said a 14-day target for waiting times was "not attainable," given growing demand for VA services and poor planning. It called the 2011 decision by senior VA officials setting it, and then basing bonuses on meeting the target "an organizational leadership failure."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/09/veterans-audit-new-patients_n_5473831.html