VA Connecticut Healthcare System executive director addresses concern and promises continued improvement during American Legion System Worth Saving town hall.
Veterans received answers to their health-care concerns, updated information about VA issues, and more during an American Legion System Worth Saving (SWS) town hall Sept. 22 at American Legion Post 127 in Orange, Conn.
Dr. Becky Rhoads, who was appointed executive director for the VA Connecticut Healthcare System about two years ago, answered the wide-ranging questions during the town hall, which was part of the three-day SWS visit to the West Haven VA medical center. These regular visits are an example of how The American Legion works closely with local VA staff on forging solutions to ensure veterans are receiving the best health care possible.
Veterans praised the VA for overall patient care, parking improvements and the addition of Saturday hours. They also brought up concerns such as the consistency in seeing the same doctor, federally mandated VA layoffs and documents mailed to the wrong address.
Immediate American Legion Past National Commander James LaCoursiere, a member of Post 91 in Moosup, Conn., was among the more than two dozen veterans in attendance.
“At The American Legion, we care about the quality of life,” he told attendees. “We care about the health care for all of our veterans. This is very important. If there are issues, bring them to the surface so we can work together to find solutions. If you have praises for the VA, we would like to hear that as well.”
He also encouraged any veterans not currently enrolled to do so, emphasizing, “Numbers do matter.”
LaCoursiere expressed his overall support for VA health-care services. However, he raised a concern about his information being mailed to an old, outdated address.
“We'll figure out where the disconnect is,” Rhoads promised. “Your medications go to the wrong place. Supplies go to the wrong place. A letter going to the wrong person. That’s not acceptable.”
Rhoads discussed some of the progress she’s made since her arrival, while also saying more needs to be done.
“We have a lot of opportunities for improvement,” she said. “We're work in progress. We have work to do. We have some phenomenal people doing really great work. But I want to hear if you have success stories, we'll take them all down, too. I hope that there are opportunities for improvement that you all can tell us about. And if it's something I've never heard about before, we will take it down for action.”
Rhoads also addressed the national VA reorganization plan and ongoing hiring freeze.
“I don’t think the impacts will be felt at the medical center level at the point of patient care between a provider and the patient,” she explained. “I think they're going to target some administrative things, which is OK. It's fine if it makes it more efficient and better. VA Central Office will look very different, but the hiring freeze is still in place. There are still positions that we can't hire for because they're not on the accepted hiring list. We are all hoping that that goes away in October.”
Rhoads emphasized that there are necessary costs beyond patient care.
“It's great to have doctors and nurses in the OR (operating room),” she said. “But if you don't have the HVAC system that keeps the temperature cool and, the humidity down, and the techs to supply the needles, it doesn't matter how many doctors and nurses we have.”
Each year, the Legion’s Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission conducts a series of site visits to VA medical facilities and regional offices across the country. While on site, American Legion representatives meet with veterans, their families and VA administrators and employees to discuss issues and solutions at each site.
These observations are compiled into a System Worth Saving report that is distributed to VA officials, members of Congress and the public. It's part of the mission of The American Legion — supporting fellow veterans in getting the health care and benefits earned through their service.
- System Worth Saving