Sharon Helman Fired, Veterans Elated
Veterans were cautiously elated at the news yesterday as reports like, “Sharon Helman fired!” blasted across news outlets nationwide following the enormous scandal that ballooned under her watch. But the elation was hedged. It goes without saying veterans’ reactions were in line with most of America who believe VA must do more to regain the country’s trust.
Helman’s firing is like a layup after a basketball breakaway in the first quarter. Her firing is an expected gimme…
Helman was on paid leave for six months after her Phoenix VA was highlighted as the center figure in a VA wait list fraud scandal that left at least 40 veterans dead. During that time she earned approximately $90,000 plus incentives. Last year, she received a whooping $237,000 in pay and incentives as Director of Phoenix VA. This is not to mention the countless of millions in taxpayer dollars spent to discover just how illegal their fraud scheme was at Phoenix VA.
But why did it take so long? That has been at the forefront of this conversation for the past, oh, six months or so while she earned another $90,000 in taxpayer dollars. I remember the few times I was fired. The process was somewhat like, “Please come in and shut the door. [Chit Chat] Things aren’t working out…” I recall the process took around five minutes. VA has yet to explain why it took 6 months to fire her.
“VA will never regain the trust of America’s veterans and American taxpayers until all of the corrupt senior executives who created the biggest scandal in the department’s history are held accountable to the maximum extent under the law,” said Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. “Sharon Helman’s removal is a positive step, but there are still many more VA scandal figures who also must be purged from the department’s payroll in order for veterans and families to receive the closure they deserve.”
Why do you think it took so long? Rumor on the street was that she threatened to reveal tons of dirt on other VA executives if she was thrown to the curb without some consideration. If true, maybe it is good that she stayed on long enough to bury some other scandalous characters in VA.
Let’s not forget that last May was like watching the first night’s deaths in the Hunger Games as one VA official after another jumped ship. It turned out like a friend of mine predicted in April. All the rats will jump ship. And, let’s hope most of them did.
Here are some comments from veterans across social media:
Stephen Marshall So glad. There are plenty more at the Phoenix VA that need to go… Including the Voc Rehab counselors George Stidham and Walter Strong. Kevin Everson, this is the one I was telling you about that used Voc rehab for law school.
Ralph Kern FINALLY!
Robert Stahlnecker jail term required for justice
Byron Mills Good maybe she can work at Macdonald s!!!
Gary Bass She is drinking cheap wine tonight. Want her home address?
Christine Totten-Dunn The long waits are still happening all over! This is a disgrace
Barb Hoke Bishop With all her retirement benefits I imagine?? SHE SHOULD GET THE DEATH PENALTY
Barb Hoke Bishop And pay back all her months of vacation pay!
Luanne Pruesner-Van De Velde Second-Degree Murder or Manslaughter……she killed 40 veterans at least. 40+ counts.
Barb Hoke Bishop I would have loved to read, trial forthcoming…
Bryant Teetor A-Fucken-men. Now when do the murder trials start?
Barb Hoke Bishop EXACTLY. FIRING THAT BITCH IS NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH
Spencer Lee Marshall Looks like that latest whistle blower who pegged her death count at 243 was the final nail.
Jeff Evarts About time
Nita Shreckengaust Merrill Yes. Now put her in jail for murder
Spencer Lee Marshall Now let’s see if she is in the mood to squeal.
Nita Shreckengaust Merrill Like a pig Spencer Lee Marshall
Barb Hoke Bishop Deliver her to HELL
Spencer Lee Marshall We need some of those t-shirts with Sharon Helman in the cross hairs and “WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE” with the ALIVE Xed out by machine gun fire.
Jeanne Oppenhauser amen
Spencer Lee Marshall Or how about one with her sitting and strapped into Old Sparky and Oscar standing up out of his trash can with his hand on that big ol switch?
Barb Hoke Bishop So far, Brian Williams has not uttered a word about Hellman
Roger Baker Not trying to be political here, but now that she is no longer with the VA, for her to be prosecuted would require the AG and I don’t see this administration doing anything.
Spencer Lee Marshall They should bulldoze her house.
William Snyder she collected her pay and all benefits while on Administrative Leave…
Anthony DePesa all that time off with pay, you can bet she was job hunting on our dime, damn shame they kept her this long
Spencer Lee Marshall I would NEVER hire her. I wouldn’t sleep nights wondering if my family was safe.
Marcey Anderson did she get fired or retire with full benefits ?
Nita Shreckengaust Merrill Very good question
Marcey Anderson well so far all the people they said they fired retired with full benefits. except for the whistle blowers .
Maurenne Griese She might appeal the termination… We shall see…
Barb Hoke Bishop If she’s smart, she will go into witness protection
Eliminating all bonuses at the VA for staff and exectutive positions would go a long way toward rebuilding reserves and to strengthen itself from losses incurred.
Greed is a human trait, so no matter who is in a position where bonuses are available, there will be nepotism and favortism pockets to fill.
An Employee of the Federal Government should feel it is an honor to serve those who served at the paygrade they earn.
Money is not the root, It’s the love of money which is the root,…. so restrict the ability to grow to much.
Banzai the VA
I agree with you about the bonus program however I think that claims people should get a bonus when 95% or more of their claims are approved and rated at at least 30%/ It should be against the law to rate somebody at 0%
I wonder if anyone is actually realizes this woman was head of the Spokane Washington VA hospital and did the same thing and they got rid of her there and sent her to phoenix after they caught her. She should be criminally charged and at the very least lose her retirement benefits like we lose our VA benefits due to bonuses. Does anyone realize they caught a mid level manager deleting veterans claims out of the system to make his numbers look better for a bigger bonus. The other major problems is C&P exams and the corruption with them and VA Regional claims offices and how they use C&P to deny claims. In my opinion I believe 9 out of every 10 claims are denied due to a C&P. I know and can prove it just with my claims but as long as no one is held accountable by criminal charges nothing will change.
As the Red Queen states in ‘Alice In Wonderland’, “OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!”
Our President has spent MORE time going on-air about the thug that got himself shot for stealing and resisting arrest than ANYTHING for we Veterans!
Have YET to hear *anything* or *details* about this firing in mainstream media.
The only way that things are going to change at the VA; they’re going to have to start locking some people up. That won’t ever happen until veterans start demanding that the Justice Dept. get involved when things like these waiting lists, etc. are killing veterans.
Nice touch with the witch hat. As per my comments Aug. 14 : “Here again. Portrait of a snake. People have told me she looks like a “witch”..
You all will notice that once again, incomplete news – No mention of any details at all, by any news media yet, about any details of circumstances she was “fired” under. That incudes any punishment in any way whatsoever, or if she already got another job before the firing, or if she has a lawyer appealing this, or if she is going to get a pension.
Once again, we are told nothing. And you can’t tell me that she spent the last seven months without hatching a plan and not talking to a few thousand pals and lawyers on what to do when the bomb finally drops on her. Believe me, she’ll do something to counter her firing now that it is official.
We veterans, and much of the public in this much publicized case with her, want clawback – demand by our f’d up government for her to pay back all the money they paid her for the last seven months, and the bonuses that were paid to her for many, many years prior.
Instead, we are being treated like dupes. I take that to mean she will not be forced to pay back a cent, or they would have stated that. CLAWBACK! Demand it.
Now all that has to be done is to fire 300,000 other people, starting with Hickey!
Amazes me!! (in a bad way). She’s an executive who kills innocent people and then puts her hand out to the VA and is rewarded with pay, bonuses, and benefits…… In contrast, an honorable veteran serves their country for years and is bravely willing to die for it, sacrifices, suffers and only after that, puts his/her hand out for earned benefits, to have it slapped away, denied, because he/she is considered to be a bum by the very same VA. Really??? Thanx Ben, keep up the good fight(-:
I THINK SHE SHOULD BE FINED A VERY LARGE AMOUNT,,, SPEND TIME IN JAIL,,, AND SHOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO WORK IN HER FIELD AGAIN,,, AND THAT WOULD BE GOING LIGHT HER IN MY OPINON
Finally…now let’s go after VARO Directors and their subordinates.
The VARO in Oakland sends a letter to a Veteran threating to reduce him. If he was sitting on the fence he may have chosen to end it all and jump. This Veteran has PTSD like so many Veterans and knew one right he had from the Title 38 of the CFR and that after 20 at the same rate, that rate can’t be reduced. At least that is what he understood. He called the VARO and spoke to a person and that said, “Oh, that was a typo!” “WTF!” he said, “a typo is like putting an I where the letter e should be!” This Veteran was wounded by a grenade in the head, 2 sq. inch whole in his head with bit’s of metal in his brain along with other SC injuries related to his service in Vietnam. They denied that he had a TBI…after 45 year’s of comp for that service connected was now sitting on that fence. American Legion NSO he had didn’t document the accusation…just verbally asked the VARO for another C&P just because they can’t sit down and see a penetrating wound caused by flying metal from a grenade plus, the concussion from the explosion. I find that my friend should start a class action against the entire VA! But, the struggle in dealing with the VA Medical has to be an insult for you all who sacrificed with their service to this country!
now she has helmans on her face!
Another person I would love to see fired is Allison Hickey. She has been lobbying very hard for years against Gulf War Illness, trying to strip ALL presumptives and pushing the propaganda that GWI is a mental health issue.
If she is fired, I shall dance the jig and crack open a bottle of champagne.
i think it took way to long,,,, i also think the v.a. system is full of employee,s who abuse there position,s,,, knowing they can lord it over veteran,s,,,, all they have to do is write a report or make a verbal report that we did some thing wrong,,,, we have to go through a very long drawn out process to report any abuse,s they commit toward us,,,, the v.a. system is full of abuse by the worker,s from top to bottom,,,, i had seen it with my own eyes going back to the early 70,s
Ben, can you report on being fired affects her retirement benefits, if at all?
I owe you one “HOW” in my previous post. The “HOW” is in the mail.
I think when you’re fired you only get what you’ve paid in to retirement not the government match at least it’s that way at the post office. She won’t get much in retirement and she can’t draw it until she’s at least 57 I think.
This explains why officials in the VA have gotten so helpful, and why Benjamin’s site is a must read. I sent an email Saturday at 11:26am, after reading a column here, and had a response by 11:42am…on a SATURDAY.
I got a call from the VARO Director herself in response to that email who said they were doing a rating on my slam dunk claim…yesterday. I waited months for the appointment after my VSO requested one in June, only to find the VARO did nothing to request the exam, then expected to wait months more for a decision. I finally had that initial exam in November. The other exam that is part of the claim is in December, but rather than waiting, they are deciding on a partial claim now.
Thank you Benjamin and my fellow vets for keeping the pressure on.
The PROOF of the VA’s intentions will be seen over the next few years. there are enough Vets that were effected by policies under the OLD administration, if they are SERIOUS we should see a LARGE number of these CLAIMS RESOLVED.
The BACKLOG is the KEY to their SERIOUSNESS.
I hope that the civil lawsuits that were or will be filed against the VA over the deaths of those veterans rakes Sharon over the coals real good this time. When her orders to close the emergency room at 4:30 at Spokane Washington VA caused the death of a WWII vet what the widow got for compensation wasn’t near enough. She should be sent to prison on homicide charges.
I wish that MORE of America’s Veterans would go on line and order “The Veterans Benefits Guide” and “The Federal Laws, Rules and Regulations” From Barton F. Stichmann, Ronald B. Abrams & David F. Addleson at the National Veterans Legal Services Protection (NVLSP). LexisNexis at http://www.lexisnexis.com/veterans or Fax them at 800-828-8341, Mail them at Matthew Bender & Co. Inc., Attention Customer Support Dept.,1275 Broadway, Albany, N.Y, 12214-4026 or Call them at 800-533-1637 an d FILE YOUR “OWN” CLAIM for BENEFITS!! Take some time to familiarize yourselves with their Books or CD’s. You get a DISCOUNT if you order Both Books. They guide you step by step through the very complicated maze the V.A. has set up such as C&P Exams, Notices of Disagreements, Out Patient Treatment, Being ‘FARMED OUT TO AN OUTSIDE DR. or DENTIST’, ect, ect.! They ALSO send you updates every year of “NEW REGULATION CHANGES”, ADDITIONAL AGENT ORANGE LISTS AS THEY BECOME ADDED TO THE AGENT ORANGE LIST (ie. Trans Ischemic Attack or what the V.A. ‘used to call: Low Q Wave Heart Attacks) and Give you the PROFFESSIONAL GUIDELINES ON HOW TO “FILE AND DEVELOPE” YOUR CLAIM FOR SERVICE CONNECTED and NON SERVICE CONNNESCED BENNEFITS!! YES, YOU CAN FILE YOUR “OWN” CLAIM!
Also, PLEASE order a Copy of “THE DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICEL MANUAL IV”. I GOT MINE FROM THE PUBLIC LIBRARY as the V.A had REMOVED them from the V.A.s shelves. This DSM IV gives you the low down about what %’s are available for your Claim for Service Connected Benefits & how much you can draw when your disability gets worse! (AND I ASSURE YOU .. IT/THEY WILL GET WORSE THE OLDER YOU GET!!!) I sure HOPE and PRAY that some of you will take the time to call them at least.
Semper Fi,
Michael Stewart
Well the Spokane va has closed its emergency room again. My personal experience with them is not positive and they continue doing business as usual. I hope this is a wakeup call but administration appears to be very focused on keeping veterans silent and compliant. The personal cost, including life, for the veteran appears to be immaterial.
Dennis,
Yeah, “Life’s a Bitch!” (unless you’re a woman and then “Life SUCKS”!) What I don’t understand is just “HOW” long she remained in her Position and All the Benefits she collected. and will continue to collect until her death, after KILLING SO MANY OF WE VETERANS??
The V.A. has needed a major overhaul for over Fifty (50) years!
They also need to revamp the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Volumn IV” (DSM IV). It took me over 32 years to collect all of my Benefits .. but at least I collected them! The United States Marine’s have a saying that goes like this: “I got mine! How the #$*& did you make out”!!
Semper Fi,
Michael
P.S. Absolutely NO offence meant by my first (1st.) line in this sentence to Denise or ANY OF THE MANY WOMEN VETERANS that have served America in any Capacity!
Oh gee, she was fired? It took them six months to figure out a way to can her, so that meanwhile she can go on collecting her pay every month and put in for her retirement? Also, was she allowed to collect another bonus as a financial incentive to muster herself out at the VA? Life is a bi-ch, ain’t it?!
Well, as the saying goes? “IT AINT OVER TILL THE FAT LADY/MAN SINGS!” NO OFFENSE TO THOSE WHO CARRY MORE POUNDS PLEASE. OH ALLISON WAS GOING TO HAVE ME DO A NEW C&P FOR PTSD? WHY IN THE HELL WOULD YOU HAVE THE VERY SAME IDIOT OR AS MY MOM WOULD SAY, “HORSES ASS,” REDO YOUR PTSD CLAIM? BEN YOU HAD A TALLY OF RANKINGS DALLAS HAPPENS TO BE WORSE THAN PHOENIX AND BEING THE SIMPLE FACTS GEE I SHOULD BE HIRED AS A DOCTOR SINCE NOT ONE COULD READ A REPORT TO SAVE THEIR ASSES, SERIOUSLY GI BLEED? THE DIRECTOR HERE? OH MY DOCTOR SAW THAT ONE AND HIS HOWEVERS, BACK PAIN FROM RECTAL BLEEDING. SERIOUSLY, I NEVER SAID THAT I SAID READ THIS CT SCAN REPORT WITH ME TELL ME DO YOU SEE WHAT I AM READING? IN FACT I STATED TELL THE DOCTOR LOOK AT MY THIRD BACK SURGERY AND LOOK UP THIS INFORMATION ITS VITAL. YOU CAN LEAD A HORSE TO WATER BUT YOU CANNOT MAKE THEM DRINK?
SO BONNIE WHICH SWEETIE I AM STILL FINE TOOTHING YOUR ETHICAL VIOLATIONS DONT WORRY I HAVE ALL I NEED. OH AND HERE IS SOME PTSD YOU LYING BITCH WHO CHANGED MY ANSWERS TO SUIT THE NEEDS OF A VETERAN WHO HAS BEEN SENT BACK TO 18, AND HER WORST FEAR CAME TO LIFE? NO REAL SLEEP IN A MONTH! YOU HAVE NO MORAL COMPASS, THANK GOD MY KIDS KNOW IF YOU DID IT YOU OWN IT, GET IT? THEY DID. I AM LIVID THAT I STATE ALL THE DAMN TIE AFTER NOON AS IN UCH LATER THAN NOON APPOINTENTS PLEASE. BONNIE GOT THIS BITCH TO SAY IT AND AS I HURT LIKE HELL AND MIGHT LOAE THE USE OF MY LEGS? SERIOUSLY YOU ALL THINK OF THAT FIRST? WTF? HERE ON CHANNEL FIVE LOOK IT UP. VETS ARE TALKING AND I HAVE SO UCH DIRT I COULD BURY THE VA, AS I THINK A HUGE BROOM OF THE FECAL MATTER SHOULD BE REMOVED, NEVER BE ALLOWED TO WORK NEAR HUMANS OR PETS, PET VIPERS MAYBE. BUT SEE? IT WORKED, IT TOOK THE FOCUS OFF THIS SHITHOLE, WHEN MY DOCTOR SAW THE IDIOT AT THE TOP WRITE WHAT HE DID HE WAS NOT HAPPY, HE RAN A HOSPITAL BUT AS HE STATED, “EVERY DEPARTMENT HAS ITS PEACOCKS AND THEY ARE ALL TRYING TO PROVE THE HAVE BIGGER FEATHERS, I AM IN THIS FOR PATIENT CARE.NOT A BUNCH OF FEATHERS AND WANTING TO BE SO POLITICAL, PATIENT CARE I AM IN. HE LIKE ME, TOOK THAT HIPPOCRATIC OATH SERIOUSL, AND HE KNOWS I KNOW MY BODY, HAS STATED YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EXCELLENT PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT. I CARE. WORDS I USED LONG AGO SORRY BOB THEY AINT YOURS! DAMAGED ON ACTIVE DUTY AND WHY WAS IT DENIED? THERE WAS NO DATE. WTF DATE DO THEY NEED? I CAN NARROW THAT EXAM TO ONE WEEK. AS MY MAIDEN NAME STATES, “WINNER OF WAR.” BRING YOUR BEST GAME BUT REMEMBER THIS, RESEARCH AND PEEL THE ONION. GOOD LUCK VA-I WILL DO WHAT IT TAKES TO EXPOSE IT ALL, GEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN BECAUSE YOU IDIOTS DONT GET IT, A WHEEL CHAIR ON YOU? KISS MY VAMPIRE WHITE ASS! THIS ALL COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BUT SEE WHAT ITS LIKE WHEN ONE SINGLE CELL IN YOUR BODY HAS MORE THAN THE SEVERAL IVE MET-“PLANKTON!”
Can Hickey be next?
HOAH! I second that Mike