Oklahoma VA Maggots

Maggot-gate: VA Staff Quit After Maggots Found In Elderly Veteran

Oklahoma VA Maggots

Four Oklahoma state VA staff quit after one veteran resident died where maggots were found in a festering wound just prior to death.

The veteran, named Owen Reese Peterson, aged 73, died shortly after non-sterile maggots were found in an unhealed wound. The incident is reportedly at a state veterans’ retirement home in Talihina, OK. Peterson died of sepsis, likely linked to the infection.

Peterson, a Vietnam veteran from Texas, was an Army veteran, patriot and country poet.

Raymie Parker, his son, reportedly pled with facility workers to take better care of his father. “During the 21 days I was there, … I pled with the medical staff, the senior medical staff, to increase his meds so his bandages would be changed,” he said. “I was met with stonewall for much of that time.”

Charges may still be filed against the health care workers in connection with the death.

No Termination

Executive Director Myles Deering reported that the maggots were discovered while the veteran was still alive and that the parasites did not cause of death. “He succumbed as a result of the sepsis” and not the “result of parasites.”

Agency spokesman Shane Falkner said that before punishment following the investigation could commence, three nurses and one physician assistant reportedly quit to evade accountability, “All four chose to resign before the termination process began.”

The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs refused to produce the investigation report when asked by members of the media citing privacy concerns.

Maggots Were Not Sterile Kind

As for the type of maggots, one commenter apparently familiar with incident asserted the maggots were not the sterile kind used for certain treatments but instead non-sterile maggots that may have transmitted the bacteria causing sepsis:

“The maggots were not the sterile blow fly larvae that can be prescribed in the United States as an approved medical device. Rather they were non-sterile maggots which may have transmitted the bacteria responsible for the sepsis, but we may never know.”

While not linked to the same budgetary problems as the federal Department of Veterans Affairs, state retirement homes have long been plagued with problems linked to unaddressed patient neglect.

We all know our veterans deserve better, but even state funded bureaucrats do not apparently agree, at least in Oklahoma.

As an aside, the physician assistant linked to this scandal was rehired by another state VA facility shortly after he quit.

Physician Assistant Rehired

According to Tulsa World, a follow-up inquiry revealed the state agency may have misled the World in its response to questions on the resignations:

Only after following up on an anonymous tip with Veterans Affairs officials did the World learn that the physician assistant was rehired a month after his resignation and is now working at the veterans center in Lawton.

“We didn’t try to mislead the reporter. She asked for the resignation date. He resigned from Talihina,” Shane Faulkner, public information officer for the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, said Friday.

Faulkner released the names of the four employees to a reporter, but the Tulsa World is not naming the individuals because no criminal charges have been filed in the case.

Jeff Smith, district attorney for LeFlore and Latimer counties, said he has yet to receive a report from Veterans Affairs, but the agency indicated it would forward information to his office.

A check of the four health care workers’ state credentials turned up no history of disciplinary action against the three registered nurses who resigned in the wake of 73-year-old Peterson’s death. But the physician assistant who resigned Oct. 14 and was rehired Nov. 14 has had two disciplinary actions against him by the Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision, including one for which he is currently serving a five-year probation.

According to state licensing records, the physician assistant was first put on probation in 2005 for two years following a narcotics violation. He surrendered his license in June 2014 following a complaint of “unprofessional conduct.” According to records, the complaint alleged that he was not being properly supervised, as is required for all physician assistants, and was being identified to callers as a doctor.

His license was reinstated in late January — more than 18 months after its surrender — and with five years’ probation.

Doug Elliott, deputy director at the state Department of Veterans Affairs, said the physician assistant was first hired in February at the Lawton/Fort Sill Veterans Center and was transferred to Talihina in late August or early September.

“We knew about the disciplinary action. We do a background check on all PAs, doctors and nurse practitioners prior to them entering our building,” Elliott said. “In this instance, he had to have supervision eight hours per week, meaning there has to be a doctor there. That was imposed by the medical licensure board.”

What a tragedy.

Sources:

https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/government/physician-assistant-who-resigned-in-wake-of-veteran-s-death/article_ed574264-538f-5631-abc7-94c6df3ae217.html

https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/health/four-resign-from-talihina-veterans-center-after-resident-found-with/article_7fcaa06d-e11e-5b4d-82d8-e0a8918ec284.html

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101 Comments

  1. God says fear not who can destroy the body in death but fear him after the body is destroyed who can throw the soul into hell ……..mathew10:28 these people who treat others unfairly beware….!

  2. FYI- This story finally just made my local news and apparently there’s a pretty large national outrage over this. Let’s pray President Elect Trump is paying close attention and makes his VA Secretary choice accordingly.

  3. Notice this story went quickly away in it’s mainstream media blip to be replaced by the revelations of fraud and deception and greed taking place at the Pentagon all over the news today? By design?

    1. Did all notice tonight that Mr.Trump focused mainly on vets in his rally in North Carolina?

      According to his speech, changes are forthcoming next week. TRUMP is in the process of establishing the correct individuals to handle this seem to be insurmountable situation with the corrupt VA. We will see.

  4. If this were my family member, I would be tempted to walk in there and blast anything in a uniform that moves.

    We wonder why people “randomly” go off the deep end in this country on a daily basis, well… Look no further. Institutional, systematic filth like this is not only condoned but promoted by those in power. It’s sheer laziness, and they’re getting paid for it! These people knew they were providing less than sufficient care and will continue doing so as soon as the heat is off them. They probably already are.

    The sad part is that various versions of this happens in nursing homes, prisons & children’s shelters all over this country more often than not. Places where the victims are viewed as “less important than” able-bodied, working, healthy citizens. We need to change how we value our elderly, our veterans, our underprivileged and our mentally ill. The measure of a nation is how it treats its weakest citizens.

    I hope the monsters responsible are tormented by nightmares forever, because they probably won’t face any legal repercussions. #yayoklahoma #lowstandards4ever

    1. They have to possess a conscience in order to be tormented by nightmares. I agree about this happening in other sectors of society and should rightly be changed as well. These monsters simply know it’s easier to shoot a flare through a needle in space than to ever fire them when all they need do is quit and play whack a mole and pop-up 30 days elsewhere newly rehired, never missing a paycheck, and even more evil because they got caught so these sociopaths probably become even more callous (if even possible) so I would dread having that newly relocated monster treating me because something tells me they serve revenge with maggots cold.

    1. Yes, they consume carrion/dead/rotten flesh, but it’s the rather nasty bacteria strains they harbor that infect the viable flesh, which causes parasites to go deeper into the decay they are facilitating. Sepsis is freaking scary. I have had to deal with it -3- times thus far in life. Once, when my appendix burst in USAF because they had someone that outranked me come into the ER so I was told to GO BACK TO DORMS UNTIL I FELT WORSE….and get this, it was a Major’s WIFE, not even the actual Officer that bumped me…and it about killed me. Now it’s doing it slowly for now.
      The other two times were in last 9 years with massive MRSA infections beyond simple lancing req. all out surgical attack and a few months on Vancomyacyn which is a powerful antibiotic via IV and it feels like carbolic acid in your veins….not fun.
      The degree of ignorance with the VA medical astounds me and a relative that’s a LPN and she said the proper treatment of Sepsis and Maggots is something any military field medic would know how to treat with no errors.
      We need the VA Medical to become a transition from active duty military to civilian option where we utilize the trained professionals in the military to treat fellow Veterans….DONE. It realistically could be self-sustaining only if…the swamp is completely drained and the AFGE and ringknocker SES types are tossed into the Aurora Colorado VAMC Black Hole and let Satan sort things out. 🙂

  5. Ben, in your blog, you said they were registered nurses. In the story, the person you are interviewing, says he checks out the nurse practitioners. Should I be confused?

    1. It’s easy to get confused since the VA has now been utilizing Nurse Practitioners to do M.D. work and the regular nurses are doing brain surgery, so yeah, it’s hard to keep track of who is qualified to do what these days according to redefinitions declared illegally by the VA.

      1. Yea, like “gimpy” Gibson tried to ‘redefine’— “accountability” a few months back!

  6. On a LIGHTER note: I just learned that “wreathesacrossamerica.org”, not a Federal Funds receiving non-profit that’s been placing wreathes on all Fallen Warrior’s graves all over our Great Nation, is sorely lacking in funds and are asking for $15. for a donation online that pays for -1- wreathe and/or you can also volunteer locally, as they simply do not have enough $ due to the increase in Veteran’s Graves on a daily basis to cover with what they normally intake.
    Since Obama just learned where Arlington Cemetery was a few weeks ago for his 8th Veteran’s Day as POTUS, and he learned it was not a golf course, so used the opportunity to make political talking points, nevermind the Vets; the org simply did not have the exposure nor push as past Presidents have done, so if you can volunteer or swing a $15. one time donation, that might warm your hearts up a bit and at the same time warm that swamp water up to draining temperature. 🙂
    This also shows the lackluster awareness of the sacrifices made each and every day and means a lot to families.
    I still feel like crap over this Veteran’s criminal death, yeah, murder. Maybe I will donate another wreathe or two. Peace.

  7. Hey 91Veteran,

    This State VA facility provides 268 jobs to a very remotely located town with the population between 1,100 to 1,200 people.

    “Plan to replace Talihina VA residential care center sparks fears “, By Randy Ellis The Oklahoman, December 5, 2016
    “https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/government/plan-to-replace-talihina-va-residential-care-center-sparks-fears/article_0f3d185c-e169-587b-83ec-d347565bfd6b.html”

    1. I read that article. Yeah, now the community is concerned.

      I drove through that area from Mena, AR over Thanksgiving, and may have actually gone through Talihina. We were trying to avoid the winding road to Ft. Smith and Ft Smith itself to get to I40. It REALLY is off the beaten path.

      Reading that article makes me think it was quite the surprise to those in that community…Which makes me wonder if the state spokesman thought of that just before the reporter called.
      It also made me wonder what concern there was for the veteran. The article on the place closing showed none.

  8. VAOIGG told me if a person quits they no longer pursue the matter . So yes if you quit your safe . I would like to know who the bean counter was , and who are Therese doctors and three supposedly nurses ? I bet they were nurses. SEYMORE, first time I heard that much emotion in your words. Follow the money. I bet whomever, owns a string of them. At 73 years old, that Veteran died fighting for his life, under the VA system. Again, nobody responsible. BECAUSE THEY QUIT?

  9. President Trump,
    Please start the engines on all the government bulldozers in inventory, military and otherwise. Please kindly provide a one way ticket to any foreign national working at VA to return to the folds of their homeland. Please provide bus service to all VA employees and drop the off safel at home or their parents house, halfway house, or pub in which they live.

    Once all the VA buildings are empty, please make the flat. Erect a monument on each sit commenorating the dead veterans who died at that site for any reason. Plant grass over the rest.

    Please erase the horrific experiment called Veterans Health Care from the face of our nation. Let public healthcare provide what they can and give every single VA health care character a bonus – a free ride home.

    Except for the maggots (AFGE) I think it is win-win for everyone. Send the crows for the maggots. They love em and they can fly straight there…

    1. I would not wish any more wear and tear on those poor crows. I actually really liked your idea using low-yield tactical logistics. Spontaneous evaporation and helps the draining of the swamp water levels significantly. 🙂

  10. I sincerely hope with every cell of my body that President Elect Trump realizes gravity and weight of importance of whom he selects for VA Secretary. Our very lives as Veterans depends upon it.

  11. 2.5 years ago my husband had a 10.5 hour back surgery to repair lumbar fractures, one of which was a blown out vertebra that occurred when he fell while waiting over a month to be scheduled for an MRI that was requested by the VA’s own emergency dept Doctor. The surgery was performed at another hospital and he was sent back to the VA for rehab. Instead of putting him in a medical unit to care for his incisions (anterior and posterior), they put him in a fast track PT unit. The doctor in charge explained to me that they would attempt to provide the needed medical care but not normal for this unit. My husband was also on excessive meds that had left him in a very confused state. Two days in a row I entered his room to find him lying on a bare plastic mattress as the fitted sheet supply had been depleted. On the 7th day he had to be transported back to surgeon to have all sutures removed. When I arrived to accompany him as he had to go by stretcher, I found he was in a state of complete delerium with a high grade fever for which they ran lab work up an hour or so earlier. Surgeon was located at hospital of origin and immediately sent us to er for admitting due to sepsis in the anterior wound. Tested and found to be MRSA sepsis. To this day he has never again walked and been in and out of hospitals and rehab units. I have him at home where he is bed bound and requires 24/7 care. He will always be on antibiotics due to MRSA can not be irradiated from spine and hardware cannot never be removed. Some departments at this VA provided excellent care and others not so much. Unfortunately he had a poor primary care giver and follow up that will forever impact our lives.

  12. I think you’ll find that privatization and decentralization are a bigger problem than the AFGE and the AFGE employee job protection is a HUGE PROBLEM. And this is not just a VA problem. Better hope you don’t get assigned a private care facility for long term care via a VA contract. There are no controls or inspections to save costs and that is the problem all along the line which allows the escape by bad employees. No log entries to get rid of them with.

  13. Right now on WBDO, 96.5 FM, the woman who’s reporting is slamming the VA in Tomah, Wisconsin.
    She’s wondering why “Thomas Schiller” isn’t facing any criminal charges!
    She’s been going off on this for over an hour.
    The wife and I are wondering why criminal charges can’t be brought against anyone, even if they decide to quit!?
    Seems to me, just because a person quits, shouldn’t stop charges from being pursued!
    Am I wrong in thinking this?

    1. I always was led to believe that once you were in the mob/gangster organization the only way out was cement shoes or natural death?! I view the VA’s relationship with the AFGE as exactly that, organized crime on steroids.
      I am really glad this is getting the coverage it is but it’s unfortunate Veterans have to die horrific deaths for that to rise up above the Kardashians lunch menu. Bastards.

    2. I don’t think you are wrong Elf. The director already said he passed orientation by using the proper instruments, yet he chose to do his own thing regardless of training.
      I would think criminal negligence at a minimum.

    3. Elf,

      91Veteran is right, but if there is no investigation by the VA then who will refer Thomas Schiller for charges.

      1. Seymore,
        Since this issue has reached the main stream media, couldn’t the state take up the investigation? Then, if warranted, be brought before a Grand Jury for indictment, then trial, then ———-!

      2. According to one of the articles I read, the state VA was supposed to be forwarding their report to the states attorney.

        That has not happened yet.

        Wouldn’t it be interesting if the states attorney decided to charge that PA…after the state rehired him elsewhere?

        To be clear, I would be shocked if anything happened…unless the media pushes for answers. The veteran is from Texas and his son lives in GA. I can’t see the states attorney pushing state good ol boys for some out of town guy.

  14. I left a comment on the previous article about the dentist regarding this that may have alerted the author that I cannot find on either story.

  15. Benjamin’s Bad VA Art today will have me looking at crinkle French fries with an entirely different mindset.

  16. I believe it was the Tulsa World article I read that has very good detail on this issue, particularly that the family member had been requesting a pain pump for possibly 21 days.

    3 weeks or longer to change dressings on wounds and these hacks couldn’t do it because there was no medical director?

    Ok, no medical director, why not transfer the guy to another facility, at least to have the dressings changed? FFS it wasn’t like this guy was a walk-in. He was an in patient in this shithole.
    As for the weaseling on whether he died from sepsis and not the maggots…really? That makes things ok? I seriously doubt there would have been sepsis if his wounds were properly cared for.
    As for the spokeshack claiming the PA was rehired because the investigation showed the PA did all he could do, I say BULLSHIT! He didn’t transfer the patient to a proper facility when he should have when he ran into a bullshit policy not allowing the pain pump. If the family member was requesting the pump for 21 days, it was certainly more than enough time for that PA to decide on what to do rather than ignore the problem. Was there a delay or hesitance in taking action because the PA was afraid the truth of poor wound care would be discovered?
    Where were the social workers to assist the family with Medicare so he could be seen by an outside, competent facility?

    Seems like a lot of ass covering going on at several levels in OK.

    1. I am also betting the so-called Patient Advocate was out to lunch, per usual at any VAMC, for 21 consecutive days.

      This is a systemic problem and playing whack-a-mole with the VA will never drain this swamp because it’s like an infestation of cockroaches or something along those lines.

      You can BET that if that VAMC needed say, a new espresso machine for one of their break rooms, someone would have neglected Veteran patients and gone to Walmart and purchased one before the old espresso machine became room temperature. But a patient with sepsis and maggots, not so much a case of urgency.
      How do these pukes sleep at night? President Elect Trump needs to pull a Pres. Reagan on the AFGE Union. Make the renegotiated terms of AFGE contract be so extreme they will want to leave the VA. It must be a requirement to have extreme Borderline Personality and Sociopathic Disorders to work for the VA these days. If I were a VA employee and one of the GREAT employees, I would really be doing the Whistleblower song and dance.
      How the fuck can that medical tech be rehired within a month at another facility? Extra hiring points for higher levels attained on the Sociopathic Scale? WTF?

      1. I seriously believe he was rehired because he did contact someone outside the facility, and they told him to suck it up and deal with it.

        I think some state VA officials are covering their ass.

      2. Well, Leavenworth Prison is conveniently just in the adjoining State. Make sure the entire prisoner population knows what these bastards did before releasing him into the general population, close doors, lights off, set and forget.

  17. quote from this article, “Agency spokesman Shane Falkner said that before punishment following the investigation could commence, three nurses and one physician assistant reportedly quit to evade accountability, “All four chose to resign before the termination process began.””

    THIS TELLS ME ALL i NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHO IS TO BLAME.

  18. I worked at the Va and have seen the mismanagement of patients there. One problem they have is a terrible record of dealing with the patients who suffer from alcoholism. I have seen patients die from alcohol withdrawal and their treatment of this is terrible. I would find out if he was in withdrawal from alcohol and that is why his behavior was neglected. He may have been psychotic during those 21 days and they did not treat this condition as he should have. This is as bad a neglect as the maggots. If he was living in filth at home where he drinking and not caring for himself, he could have been admitted with the maggots and he was mistreated for that condition as well. People need to find out the complete negligence that occurred in this mans condition.

      1. I am sure there are more to blame for this kind of neglect than just the frontline staff. There is probably a systemic problem with how they deliver care. How could the head nurse allow this to happen? Did she complain to the top leadership and did they do nothing to change this delivery of care. I suspect so. Was the CHIEF OF STAFF NOT AWARE? WHY NOT? They always blame those on the bottom when the top officials were aware and did nothing. It is a system that tries to cover up for those at the top who do not intervene for the patients

    1. P

      Where in this article does it say anything about this veteran having alcoholism or a neglected home. He did not lay there for 21 days with the maggots those came at the nursing home.

      1. Where does it say he came from a nursing home? I am looking for reasons why his behavior was so difficult that the staff could not get in there to change his dressings.

    2. In reply to your comment below in which you mention the Chief of Staff, one of the Tulsa World articles quotes the son as saying the staff there was very good…it was the upper management/administration who refused the pain pump.

      Which is why I am curious over the state officials refusing to release their report.

    3. In answer to your question about why the staff could not change his dressing…I read an article somewhere quoting his son that the vet wanted the pain pump to manage the pain from changing his dressing. Since the policy existed that required some medical director be at that facility to oversee administering the pain pump, and that facility not having a director, they chose to ignore the need to change his dressing.

      1. There are other ways to treat pain. Why not transfer him to a hospital? But when dealing with NO HUMAN SUBJECTS why take ordinary steps to prevent death?

        Is this being investigated as a criminal act?

        Bp and cholesteral drugs is all I let VA quavks fo to me. PERIOD

      2. I don’t know why this vet wanted a pain pump…perhaps he had one once before and was familiar with the relief it gave him.

        I have had a pain pump before after an ACL repair. The surgery and the pump was provided by a private doctor after the VA initially said there was nothing wrong with my knee…then told me they couldn’t do surgery for 6 months after I proved what was wrong with an MRI from that private doc.
        The pain came on quickly and was intense, but a couple pushes on the button and it was gone almost instantly.
        What’s interesting is I was never given a pain pump by the VA when they did knee replacement surgery a couple years ago. It wasn’t even mentioned.

  19. Y’all know how the MSN, and the White House, has said “No voter fraud was committed!”
    Well, that’s not true. There were many cases of voter fraud being committed by the “Left Wing Nut Liberals” on Nov 8th.
    Here’s proof from Milwaukee just in.
    This video, from the “Alex Jones Show”, David Knight reporting, gives factual data coming to light on Jill Stein’s recount attempt. (Posted 4 Dec. 2016)
    Titled;

    “Jill Stein Actually Helping The Trump Campaign”

    Go to the 20:30 minute mark to see real proof on what these maggots attempted to pull off!
    Also, even though Stein missed the deadline for recount in Pennsylvania by one week. And the court dismissed her lawsuit. It looks like she’s going to fill in federal court today. I don’t expect the feds to side with her. Yet, if the federal judge is a liberal Democrat, we might see a reversal of the lower court. I don’t see how, but it could happen!

  20. Carefully remove the bandage and inner gauze pads from the wound site.
    Rinse the wound with tap water and gentle soap. Clean the wound thoroughly and get rid of any debris you see.
    If you see a very small number of maggots in the wound, sterilized tweezers can be used to pick them. Do this carefully and use medical blunt-edge tweezers to avoid tearing the wound tissues. Clean the wound with peroxide afterwards and change the bandage.
    If there is a larger maggot infestation, refer to these steps of removal:
    Pour a cap of hydrogen peroxide into the wound site. Some doctors recommend saline solution, as this is considered less harsh than peroxide.
    Leave it to bubble for 10 to 20 seconds. This will kill maggots which reside on the surface of the wound.
    Apply a dusting of cornstarch to inspect any left maggots in the wound. This will draw out maggots which have burrowed deeper in the wound.
    Take a cotton gauze or gauze pad and soak it into medical turpentine oil.
    Soak the wound, which has been treated with saline solution or peroxide in turpentine-oil soaked gauze. Keep the wound soaked for a half to an hour and carefully inspect it overtime.
    After an hour, wipe away dead maggots you see on the surface of the wound. If there are some maggots left on the wound, use a pair of sterilized tweezers to get rid of it from the wound.
    Put on clean gauze pad and bandage the wound after applying an antibiotic ointment, inspecting it from time to time to make sure maggot infestation does not continue.

    1. Thank you for pointing the medical procedure out. This veteran could have been cared for with having been put into a priority status. Nobody deserves to be treated with such disregard and neglect. Thanks.

  21. @Rick Brine
    The benefit of the doubt rules at VA. Maggots may have caused the sepsis which killed Mr. Peterson or not. Sepsis itself deserves care and treatment by health care workers. That man needed priority care by a doctor who could prescribe pain medication and then antiSEPTIC treatment to get those maggots killed.

    Ok why did the health care workers quit their jobs?

    1. I just woke up and read this bullshit. PTSD singing on all cylinders. Time for some of my medical cannabis. Thanks VA I hope you all rot and die.

  22. Hey y’all,
    Please, google and read this article out from “Military Daily News”, 2 Dec, 2016.
    By Brendan McGarry. Too bad it took so long to get out to everyone. What are the VSO’s trying to hide or cover-up?
    Titled;

    “Vets Groups to Trump Team: Don’t Privatize VA”

    30 VSO’s “…met in a closed door meeting…” to discuss this issue. It was implemented by the American Legion. The “Big Six” were all in compliance to keep VA as it is! Just fix what’s wrong. In that case, we all know what that means! They’ll lose their “cash cow”! Plus, why do it in secrecy?

    It’s a must read.
    Also, read the many comments. Especially the ones from “jetmagnet”. He’s putting on links to what was not accomplished by Congress for veterans. Basically, ‘bills’ which were shot down.
    He, and a few others, also believe we won’t receive our benefits, (compensation), under the Trump Administration. I don’t think that will happen.
    Other commenters believe as us. They want VA shut down, completely!

    1. Am I surprised the Legion is leading this? No.
      If you recall, I commented here about attending a Legion town hall here last March. The Legion has been pushing their “Save our System” crap all over the country.
      After that town hall, I spoke with the Legion officer leading that farce. He gave me his card, said he wanted a copy of the comments I made, and that he wanted to follow up and make sure the problems I had were addressed.
      I emailed him the comments months ago. About a month ago, I remembered I had never gotten a reply from him, so I emailed him again. He replied saying he thought it was taken care of, and if I emailed the details again, he would hand carry them to McDonald since he had a meeting with him the next day.
      I emailed him the details, and have heard nothing since. In my opinion, the Legion is not much better than the scam charity run by Burch.

      I did receive a FOIA response from the VA though. The good little Legion officer not only forwarded my emails on to the Director of the VA here in Grand Junction, but he included a news article about their town hall.

      He couldn’t be bothered to respond to me, but he made damn sure the local director was informed of anything that might make the VA look bad.

  23. ALL Veterans: Please forward today’s story to President Elect Trump’s new website and reference this date and story. I just did and we need to make sure these bastards are part of the drained swamp water.
    Here’s the link: “https://www.greatagain.gov/”

  24. Hey, let’s not forget the vets son, BEGGING the VA medical staff for 21 days. So his father would receive better medical care! WTF OVER!
    How many articles have been written, where relatives have BEGGED VHA staff to give better medical care to their loved ones!

    1. I have pleaded to relatives that I would rather be taken care of by rabid wolves in the woods when my health goes further downhill than to ever go to a VAMC or VA Hospice until…the swamp is finally drained. Wolves are much more attentive and compassionate than these phuques.

    2. I’m curious why state officials refuse to release their investigation report.

      Why can they not redact any identifying information from the report?

      If I were his son, you can bet your ass I would be getting a copy.

      I wonder if they are refusing to release it because it implicates officials outside that facility.

      If given the chance, any bureaucrat will throw someone else under the bus to save their own ass, yet in this instance, they not only said the PA did all he could, but they quickly rehired him.

      As it is, the state vet centers there have had issues in the past. A veteran at their Claremore vets center was scalded to death in a whirlpool 4 years ago.

      Interesting though that his son commented on the Tulsa World article and said he contacted Inhofes office and got no reply.
      Not surprised since my experience with Inhofe is that he’s an ass.

  25. All I can say is, whomever takes over as Secretary of VA, better get on the ball and start prosecuting individuals, PRONTO! And start with anyone connected with the AFGE!
    This is just another case of;
    “Oh, well, even IF I’m caught doing something wrong. All I have to do is, quit my job today. Then be rehired, at another facility, today!”
    Thereby, still drawing a federal paycheck. Not being held accountable. Not being “charged with a crime!” Or, how about this, “I can murder veterans, (patients), and not be prosecuted!”
    This seems to be the mindset of *just about* every person who is employed by VA. Why shouldn’t they have this mindset, it occurs quite often, right!!!!!!!!

    1. You know, I wish a reporter would ask that jackass Deering if they had any evidence of that facility contacting anyone about what they should do for this patient.
      For 21 days his son requested the pump, then he died. Did anyone at that facility contact anyone outside that facility on what they should do?

      Or did they just point at the policy showing they needed a medical director before they could allow the pump.

      Or…did that PA actually contact someone, they told him no, he couldn’t transfer the vet anywhere, that he would just have to do without the pump. Is that why the PA was rehired so quickly? Because he can prove state officials told him no?

  26. “Executive Director Myles Deering reported that the maggots were discovered while the veteran was still alive and that the parasites did not cause of death. “He succumbed as a result of the sepsis” and not the “result of parasites.”

    So….according to the VA, “sepsis” is entirely acceptable, flies or no flies? THIS SHIT WILL NO LONGER ‘FLY’ WITH WE VETERANS.

    And to the “TROLL” trying to mince semantics of ‘State/Federal VA’…as Seymoure Klearly clearly pointed-out, it’s all from the SAME coffer$.

    They QUIT because they got CAUGHT. No other reason. GOT CAUGHT!

    The VA Medical simply needs demolished and MANY need to be locked-up FOREVER with every served meal an ample helping of maggots on taxpayer provided food. Rather than demolishing the actual VAMC’s, repurpose them into the very prisons to hold all these VA AFGE Employee MAGGOTS.

    WTF??? President Elect Trump: PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The ENEMY is within!!!!!!

    1. What is vastly different about this story than say, Charles Ingram who burned himself to death after not getting care at the VA is that if you do a search on “Owen Reese Peterson”, this story is being covered far and wide by media big and small, and bloggers.
      Perhaps since its a state VA facility, they don’t have the 100+ PR hacks the Fed’s do to squash a story.

  27. The puke was probably bolting down whatever fentanyl he could sludge out. Happened in Exeter, NH a few years ago. The cross-referenced PA also had hepatitis, or something , and contributed it to dozens of victim patients. His unioun had a long record of resignations and new jobs.

      1. Seymore, did you notice, on yesterday’s “comments section”, a couple of vets, in that area, have never received letters concerning that dentist’s crap. (As Tomah, VA said they sent out letters!)
        Marilyn, said she called her PCP, and no one knew why she was calling. How’s that for accepting accountability for that dentist’s bullshit!

      2. @Crazy elf- Yes, I noticed that and also that’s why I mentioned in a post there that number of just less than 600 affected and potentially infected Veterans is MUCH larger. Some bean counter at the VA determined with The Rand Corp. that a number just less than 600 was more appealing to public relations than leaving the ‘zero’ more likely removed at end by the VA.
        These bastards are just plain ruthlessly evil and if they did not work at the VA they would be serial killers but since they have ample warm bodies to KILL at the VA, why bother the regular population while there’s so many Vets?

        Sorry. This story sent me a bit over the top fuming mad this morning and I cried a little. Yes, this bothers me that terribly to my core. This could be ANYONE OF US!

        If you look to the right screen here on site on “Latest News” you see the disturbing maggots right above the dentist photo with patient’s mouth wide open. Fitting.

  28. Where’s the confusion? Veterans are being mistreated. Doesn’t get much clearer than that. Wake the fuck-up people, get your head out of your asses and see what they’re doing to us.

  29. The article is about the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs – not the Federal Dept of Affairs. Completely different animals.

    “While not linked to the same budgetary problems as the federal Department of Veterans Affairs, state retirement homes…”

    It’s reprehensible what happened, but perhaps better point out the organization. Readers could easily miss the State vs Federal part. Note “Seymore Klearly’s” reply. In only the 3rd post there’s confusion.

    1. No confusion here. It is federally funded State VA that is inspected and funded by the US department of Veterans affairs. Same fricking animal.

      1. These State nursing homes are funded by US department of Veterans affairs who inspects, certifies and pays for the construction an maintenance of and at these nursing homes.

    2. Are you kidding me? You low life goverment I need a job…cant get it any where else) are killing us.

      You pukes collect your blood money and then have the balls to xome to our forum trying to protect your discusting asses.

      Nothing is wrong with this corrupt, discusting system that a few hundred thousand pink slips and bulldozers wont fix

      My “doctors” cannot understand why i refuse to take thier pills, here is another example of the many many persanal stoies of what they have done to me. I can only imagine this poor soul being laughed at by those who’s job it was to care for him, i know how it feels to be ignored and laughed at by these low life goverment employees.

      To the trolls here f*ck you and may you experience festering boils and wound filled with maggots and not have anyone care or help.

      1. These trolls need to read the comment from the staff saying the pain pump was death, and that he is not in the business of death.
        Anyone involved in the provision of medical care that is that ignorant about a pain pump needs to find another line of work. Or be out into a situation where they need a pain pump.

  30. Inexcusable. It is no wonder veterans don’t want to burden anyone any more. Vets don’t complain often until it is too late. The VA takes advantage of the humility and courage of veterans. I bet the three vets that died in one night in Atlanta were a pact. The VA is a miserable place.

  31. Completely irresponsible and biased reporting, leading the audience believe that the Veteran’s death was directly due to the maggots found in his wound causing Sepsis. We have no idea of the Veteran’s initial condition and co-morbidities prior to this event. He could have been immuno-compromised to begin with.

    Nor can we ascertain the actual amount of care or lack thereof he received by staff – This article tells us nothing about if they were aware of the festering wound or not. We also do not know if a consult was placed to wound care services. Without any actual background information and review from the medical board, all we have are weak correlations. Please stop promoting hysteria and actually report useful information, and let your readers formulate their own conclusions.

    1. Excuse me Rick,

      You are saying essentially, that people should not be reporting on the circumstances surrounding this Veterans death. So basically you are of the opinion that Veterans should just lay-down and die quietly off in some corner without anyone knowing about the fucking incompetence of VA employees and the total failures of the Veterans Administration.

      Go suck on a 9mm and please play with the trigger while doing it.

      1. Speaking of Maggots and VA employees who could use a good self induced 9mm climax. I see Thomas Schiller has quit at Tomah just like the employees in this article shortly before going to hearings for their misconduct. So they can pop back up in the VA whack a mole game of no accountability somewhere else in the VA with no record of there misconduct.

        The Acting Medical Director at Tomah Victoria Brahm has said “we are continuing reporting procedures to the State Licensing Board and the National Practitioner Data Bank”. Does that mean they will only be reporting to NPDB and the state of Texas about Thomas Schiller’s dental license or are they going to go the distance and report all of Schiller’s medical licenses such as his license in Oklahoma.

        “https://www.okmedicalboard.org/licensee/MD/14075”

      2. Hey, Seymore.
        Rick might be the type of person who’d “play Russian Roulette” with a semi-auto 9mm! At least we could hope, right!
        So early, an the TROLLS are already committed to spraying their pixy dust!

      3. Notice the virulent trolls come out in force early whenever it’s something hands-down unmistakably GOT CAUGHT?
        Also notice how the VA tries to minimize situations by attempting immediately to redefine the situation such as “sepsis” not the actual “maggots” as contributing to this Vet’s death?

        With those Vets potentially exposed to HIV and other infectious diseases from VA Deathcare, the VA would say to a Vet actually infected that it must have come from unprotected sex or try to accuse said Vets as IV drug users sharing needles in VA parking lots.
        I am quite sick of all this redefining and plausible deniability, making SHIT UP AS THEY GO!
        Nice morning and PTSD activated. Going to the Xanax Pezz Dispenser so I can try to further process these THUGS. That’s exactly what they are, WAR PROFITEERING MEDICAL ON BACK OF VETERANS….THUGS!!

        And again, where’s the Head VA Maggot, McDUCK, errr, McMAGGOT?????????????!

      4. Hello Ben, and all,
        Well, I can tell you this is very sad. This incident breaks my heart. Anyone who stands up for the VA is this situation needs to experience some maggots themselves. Many of these employees need to be put on the veteran side of the fence and experience for themselves what it is like to be a patient under the disgusting VA care. Now, let me tell you the focus of the VA. I have a situation where I called the nurse to start planning my blood work for a January
        appointment with primary care. They are supposed to do some updated blood work and I was requesting a certain protein in the blood to be checked. This certain protein is sometimes a markholder for certain serious medical issues if elevated. It is not at all the end all because other things need to be looked at as well. This protein does need to be checked and I know this based on some symptoms that have been occurring. The nurse said to me that I need to be seen by a doctor before they request the additional test added to my blood work. She kept going on and on. I mentioned to her that if she would let me finish speaking, “I will tell you that I have already been seen by a doctor for this.”
        Then, I stood up to her and told her that all the VA does is prescribed more meds. “I told her that I have been prescribed medicines until I am blue in the face.” The VA refuses to even do blood work. The nurse told me that the VA did not want to spend unnecessary money if they did not have to. Well, I told her that I would appreciate if she would put my desires into a note to the doctor. Then, I told her to have a nice day. Here is the deal. The VA does not make any sense. They will pay big bonuses to their leadership, buy unnecessary furniture, install unnecessary new carpet, and squander millions of dollars but they will not request a blood test for me. The VA is more concerned about crap than someone’s life. This is pathetic. Now, I have a live situation currently happening to me. Sometimes I know more than the providers who are in those positions with those degrees. Although, I do have a Bachelors degree that I achieved before I went into the Navy. I am enrolled in school now trying to maybe get back into employment. I hope. The VA has denied me voc rehab left and right. I can’t hardly afford it myself due to the extreme cost of college tuition. I am looking to get into some internships or a co-op position. This would be the only way I could get hired due to long term employment due to having been really sick in the past. Even, now, I really can’t even go forward until I get some issues looked into. The VA keeps me so upset that I can barely accomplish my current academic agenda. I have been trying to use alternative means to help myself. With all this being said, ” I am not joking.” The VA needs to be revamped.” The employees do the minimum and then they are negligent because they know nothing will happen to them. Accountability needs to start happening. Also, these employees who are purposely harming veteran patients and murdering veteran patients should go to prison for life. I think it is a disgrace the way the vets are being punished for serving their country. The veterans deserve to be treated like a human being with life being encouraged. Thanks.

      5. Seymore Klearly Would that be the old Lateral Transfer VA side shuffle that I’ve heard about.

        CARPETBAGGERS……

    2. The key phrase in this article is “21 days”, that’s it. Nothing more can be said about the competency of every staff member there. How can you be under medical watch of any kind and have maggots in your wound after “21 days”. Every person that was involved needs to be fired and every license revoked.

      1. Just overheard the situation about this veteran who died with the maggots on Fox News. During the commentary from Pete Hegeasth and while listening to him speak about the VA situation, I just started crying. This veteran’s son begged the VA for 21 days to change bandages and deal with meds. This pathetic negligence runs deep. There are, though, some decent employees but the bad seeds need to be fired and maybe be thrown into prison. Get damn rid of this union and get legislation passed through immediately to allow these bad seeds to be fired. Get rid of McDonald. Thanks. Get a damn General Marine in the VA secretary position to bust up this VA. Remove General Mattis from Secretary of Defense and put him in charge of the VA.

    3. The presence of maggots is disturbing and is a factual cause of infection. Furuncular myiasis is the cause of bot flies being introduced into this wound. Unless there were missing maggots unaccounted for in a surgery, you have a serious problem here. From what the evidence shows , this veteran was not in a surgical facility and that regardless of him being in a State run VA, the OIG and the VA have oversight over Veterans care.Defending the undefendable is shameful and the reporting is needed because of many factual cover up tactics by VA, VA surrogates and those who drink on VA titty milk! FOH!
      US Navy Corpsman

      1. Benjamin,

        Is Donald Trump going to listen to middle America veterans? Somebody needs to. The vets need to be heard. I would love a meeting with Donald Trump.

        Get the elites out of the picture.

        Angela

    4. VA DEATHCARE IS A FEDERAL RICO CRIME RACKET RUN FOR THE AFGE UNION CONTRACTS SO THE VETS CANE EAT CRAP @ DIE VA RATS KILL CVETS FOR THE BONOUS @$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

    5. I am a Wound Nurse, nationally certified, and gratefully retired. Nothing new here. I have seen patients come in to both civilian and VA/Military Hospitals in this same condition. Wounds are often “community-acquired” (i.e. patient likely had the wound develop at home or at a nursing home) and we document their presence upon admission. Not unusual for wounds to develop at home, be neglected, have portions become dead/necrotic and due to appalling home conditions develop maggots BEFORE they come to the Hospital.

      In my considered professional opinion you CANNOT assume the wound developed in those 21 days, became infected, and then filled with maggots. I thought the part about begging to change the dressing was curious. That sounded like a pain issue to remove a long soiled dressing – maybe the patient refused – we don’t know all the facts.

      More likely is his wound developed at home/nursing home care place BEFORE arrival at VA and he came in with the critters. I’ve seen them, the non-sterile ones they mention, and other lovely creatures scurry away from a patient coming into an ER for me to evaluate – such as cockroaches. Go take your lunch break after that type of encounter!

      All these stories about this and that happened at a VA – OMG it is so horrible – well folks I got news for you – it happens EVERY DAY at civilian Hospitals too!

      I am not letting them off the hook though. Where was the Attending Physician? Not mentioned. Key individual. It would appear the PA was unsupervised. Director of Nursing? Hmmm, normally she would never have gotten involved in simple clinicals. Did she intervene perhaps too late? The two RN’s? Well let me say that if patient was under their care I would have questions of how over 21 days his wound had not been properly cleaned?

      We have here failure to adequately supervise the DON over the two RN’s, and the PA was in charge medically but failed to adequately assess and order treatments that should have been also supervised by an Attending Physician.

      Failure to supervise.

      It is systemic in all Healthcare. Don’t believe me? Come join me some midnight and I will tour you through nursing homes in ALL out major cities and we will find the same AND worse than the OK story here. I love the story of the Unit in a major civilian Hospital where they had 50% incidences of Pressure Ulcer wounds. One out of two patients. Maybe your Grandmother…. You know, jus sayin’

      Oh, yeah, I am a Veteran too. Maggots and Bacteria have no more affinity for Khaki or Fatigues than the civilian T-Shirts and Flip Flops! Maggots and Bacteria are equal offenders.

      Twenty-One days? Wow. That I want and answer for. At a minimum for most wounds, I would have had recommended at least two to three times per day wound cleaning and dressing changes – and had the necrotic material been substantial I would have had a Surgeon consulted and have it debrided.

      No mention if there was a Wound Nurse present. If they had a Wound Nurse none of this would have likely happened.

      1. I totally agree. 21? I’ve been around a lot of sickness and death. Oh yeah, bugs and critters with the homeless and poorer. Had my share of those loving crabs, lice and scabies… what a pain in the yeah. Been a care taker and death bed sitter more times than I can count. Dressed various problem wounds, a lot of home care, dealt with lousy nursing homes/staff, and all the rest. It, this is, the reason a dear aunt retired early from her hospital RN positions after many years due to medical practices changes, incompetence, short staffed, uncaring attitudes, patient neglect, doctors who should not be, working around those who should not be in any health care field like with other professional positions or jobs. Plus taking the rap when things were truly the physicians fault. Subordinates (?) take the blame.

        Seen many with DNR status just pushed into a ICU room alone to lay in their own waste and fluids to expire alone and minus end of life pain meds. And if stuff, dressings, waste, etc., is crusty, smelly, and old something is bad wrong with staff and treatment. While telling visitors and family they are under-staffed and will notify all when their job is done. Yeah, in hours maybe. Still most people don’t get it and will sit for hours listening to BS while staff is having a B-day party, doing designer nails, or something else stupid and way outside of their job descriptions in that setting. But sheep aren’t trained to question, inspect, or act, just do and shut up and supposedly trust the ones we should the least. I always give them enough time to do what they claim…then this old dude is walking through the doors to see what the hell is going on for myself. And much of what I have seen doing that is really as disgusting as you say, or have dealt with.

        They seem to love people, veterans, who have no family or loved ones around to watch over things, or to see they are treated decently.

        That is why I keep repeating that all these corrupt, incompetent, uncaring, uncompassionate, totally corrupted, predatory “industries” or “professions” need dealt with, exposed, top to bottom, nation-wide, VA or not. But, too many benefit from this system of doings things. Too many professional and corporate hot shots to protect and make very wealthy.

    6. You sir are a complete asshole and know nothing about what is going on in the va, over med to cover up the fact that they seldom help any Vereran.

    7. There is no possible reason for a pt to have maggots in a wound that are not medical maggots. The fact the maggots were in the wound means the wound was not cleaned….it means the wound was not even LOOKED at for quite some time.
      It is very unlikely the maggots were the cause of anything. But the fact the wound was not treated, cleaned, observed over a period long enough for a fly to lay its eggs and the maggots to grow in the wound of a wounded warrior, lead to the sepsis.

      1. Anthony: see my previous comment above. I am a Board Certified Wound Nurse.

        I believe you are correct in that there was some long period when the dressing wasn’t changed, nor the wound was cleaned. I believe the fly infestation happened prior to admission. Then the time lines work out more reasonably.

        Maggots feed on dead necrotic tissue. We use medical maggots to remove dead tissue. It wound be fair to assume there was dead tissue in the wound – maggots had something to live on.

        Something else lives on dead necrotic tissue. That would be bacteria. Not a stretch to assume his wound was infected. Entirely possible that could be the source of sepsis – bacteria from the wound got into the bloodstream.

        Inexcusable that wound went 3 weeks and never was properly cleaned. By the end of week one progress should have been being made in removing the burden of necrotic tissue.

        Wow – I just had a wild thought – can’t be – did the staff see the maggots in the wound at admission and they thought hey, those maggots are doing a good job munching down on the dead tissue – no Wound Nurse around – and they decided to let the little fellows to keep munching down. Wow – that would be a real cynical view….!

        Failure to supervise, malpractice, neglect… Very sad and disturbing

    8. Anyone with physical contact with this patient should have known if there were ANY wounds, bruises, scratches etc. If you are taking care of someone in any medical setting you should know them from head to toe. Those people that resigned more than likely knew that man had that festering wound. He was neglected & got shitty care!

    9. Dude…. there is just no justifiable reason for maggots, and an unchanged wound dressing for 21 days, in an approved healthcare facility. This is not Namibia, these are not 3rd world country refugees, and this does not happen to those deemed more “worthy”. What matters less than if the sepsis was caused by the maggots, is that there was maggots. and someone wasnt doing their job, a man died. End of story.
      If you require better journalism than that to see there is something wrong, well, there is just not helping you.

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