What are the highest priorities for new VA Secretary Bob McDonald?
Hire more VA health-care providers to reduce appointment wait times.
27% (215 votes)
Find and execute a solution now to the backlog of undecided VA claims.
49% (390 votes)
Install effective technology to track medical records from enlistment through a veteran’s life.
12% (98 votes)
Focus on education, jobs and other issues related to transition assistance for the post-9/11 veterans.
3% (28 votes)
Something else? Your comment here:
9% (73 votes)
Total votes: 804
Comments
While #1 & #2 are very
While #1 & #2 are very important, it is imperative to get #3 up and running ASAP, thus making the system work from start to end. #1 and #2 only address the now. Without the third leg, it becomes an exercise in futility.
He better get some help that
He better get some help that will do some work.
The culture of the VA must be
The culture of the VA must be changed. The VA looks at the veteran as a way of keeping their jobs to guarantee their retirement and making money from sales via the dining facilities/px. Last point example: Sign outside the PX "Your" patronage and support allows VCS to give back to the VA community". They are there to help us now, why should I give them profits to allow them to return them via their biased agenda. Further, this px never has any sale items after 20 minutes of opening day-why you ask- there wonderful employees sit back sales items for their "employee friends working at the hospital". I have seen employees going thru the food line not have enough money and the friendly cashier rerings the order to fit the money available--again this the how they give back the profits to the employees as the veterans expense. If this is happening out in the open, what is happening behind closed doors in veteran patient benefits programs?? If this culture isn't changed from the top, no amount of government money is going to change how the veteran receives benefits. Sounds simple, but the culture is now all about the employees and how do they benefit at my expense.
All personnel involved in the
All personnel involved in the scandal should be identified and dismissed permanently from VA employment. Only then will the system be less corrupt and for the benefit of the employees. Nothing is in place to prevent those employees from starting the same type of problem again. Accountability at all levels must be checked by supervisors and those up the chain of command to make the system work properly for the veterans in need of proper care.
Completely agree with Rick
Completely agree with Rick and add: Investigate ALL areas where performance measures were collected and used to determine bonuses, merit promotions, step increases, etc. for fraud; and where found, TAKE BACK bonuses, promotions, step increases, etc., then FIRE those employes. Make integrity in service to Veterans job one.
"Integrity in service"is the
"Integrity in service"is the key phrase to the whole problem. I have been going to the VA for over forty years. Administrative paperwork has frustrated medical staff the whole time. Electronic records have helped, but paper pushers keep finding ways to create rules that slow treatment. The President, as Commander in Chief is treated by the best medical people the military has. Make Congress, and their family members, endure two years in the VA system. Integrity may make a comeback.
Stop the good old boy waste
Stop the good old boy waste and bonus program, it's a farce anyway.
Why not allow non-retirees to
Why not allow non-retirees to be in the "tricare for life" at civilian healthcare facilities, thus eliminating government run health care (that doesn't have a good track record!). Civilian doctors must take a reduced rate for their services just like Medicare. This would control the cost of veterans care. Just a thought!
Each and every VA employee
Each and every VA employee who was in any way involved or simply had knowledge of the negligent treatment of a veteran should be indicted! Next, the VA should be privatized! PERIOD!...and you clowns who are in any way preferring any form of government assistance are part of the problem! To be kind, maybe you are simply institutionalized and are ignorant of the benefits of private market care. And since nothing is perfect, we have access to plenty of lawyers to keep the private market honest, as opposed to government, which you are prohibited from holding accountable. Damn I'm sick of liberals and tyrants!
Each and every VA employee
Each and every VA employee who was in any way involved or simply had knowledge of the negligent treatment of a veteran should be indicted! Next, the VA should be privatized! PERIOD!...and you clowns who are in any way preferring any form of government assistance are part of the problem! To be kind, maybe you are simply institutionalized and are ignorant of the benefits of private market care. And since nothing is perfect, we have access to plenty of lawyers to keep the private market honest, as opposed to government, which you are prohibited from holding accountable. Damn I'm sick of liberals and tyrants!
FIRE ALL that had any smidgen
FIRE ALL that had any smidgen of involvement in this mess.....just another example of government employees exempted from disciplinary actions. Most veterans can relate to going to VA for help & see MANY "employees" walking, talking, etc., anything but helping the vet. Reminds you of the long check out lines at Wal-Mart......
If the VA returned to its
If the VA returned to its original premise to treat Veterans with service connected medical problems, there wouldl not be a backlog of claims. Someone who served 25 years ago for 3 years om peacetime did a patriotic duty yet may be the Vet who goes out and has an accident clearly at fault such as DUI, assault, cancer from smoking, drugs, etc., in the civilian world and is still treated at VA hospitals for life. Others who have service connected disabilities have to be thrown in with these other Vets and wait for appointments. If the Affordable Care Act is so great, then why don't Veterans without service connected conditiions transfer to Obamacare and use that?
Privatize, the federal gov.
Privatize, the federal gov. will never fixit. Let someone like Kaiser Permanente run it, with the goverment paying the insurance premiums for each veteran.
The choices in the poll, in
The choices in the poll, in my view, do not really get at the heart of the problem. Since I was a medical student serving a clinical rotation at the West Haven VAH in 1963 until my last contact at the VA Research Hospital in Chicago 1971-1973, there is a "culture' at many of the VA facilities where I served which is a function of poorly supervised and motivated government and perhaps government union employees. Recent events - lying and falsifying records - indicate that there is rot at the top of many VAHs also. There is no accountability and no consequences for poor or dishonest performance.
The new VA Head's testimony at his confirmation hearing gave me a small glimmer of hope about the VA. He is promising to introduce performance and accountability standards like the ones he had at Procter and Gamble. Maybe that will work. Except for my excellent experience at a Naval Hospital during my active duty tour, finding efficiency and a good work effort at a VAH or in government medicine is like finding a virgin in a whore house.
By the way, at all three VAHs where I had experience, the medical staff and nursing were top drawer - all, however, were affiliated with medical schools.
Get rid of the Veterans
Get rid of the Veterans Administration. Give every Veteran a million dollars at the end of their service period and let them pay for their own medical cost for the rest of their lives. They could buy the best medical insurance then and we could save a lot of money by not letting the thieves, greedy politicians and corrupt companies get their hands on the money. Of course we know there are no thieves, greedy politicians and corrupt companies so, things will stay the same and the veteran will still get it stuck to him.
First thing is to make sure
First thing is to make sure all vets are taken care of , both physical and mental. second thing is to clear up and process all vets claims, USE COMMON SENCE IN MAKING A CORRECT EVALUATION. Do NOT look at the money that will be spent. VA has stated the veteran comes first, and when unsure THE VET IS FIRST.
Maybe I have the wrong out
Maybe I have the wrong out-look on this; one man,without the full weight of his department on his side,(which he can't have because of the long running "perks/rewards for poor preformance" culture present in the VA system/both on the health side and Comp side) won't make much difference in how Vet's are treated. Unless he is willing to become the most hated VA director in our history by using an ax to clear out "dead wood", take back bonus payments made to poor preformers/plain run off said poor preformers/ he has little or no chance of reforming a system mired in the nonsence it has become. This didn't get this bad overnight and it will take an "act of GOD" to fix it. I'm thinking this "outrage over the treatment of our Vet's" will last until the election and then will be forgotten about. Any one want to bet 35 cents that it will work out that way???