MMQB: Alabama Houses Most Troubled Veterans Affairs Facility
Veterans Affairs ‘dysfunction’ audit revealed a lack of good management may be at center of the most trouble Veterans Affairs facility (or combination of facilities) in the country – the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System. Its poor numbers confirm suspicions that the Alabama VA facilities were the worst managed VAs in the nation when it comes to health care scheduling practices and record falsification.
An audit last week drove home the point that VA health care system across the nation engaging in a scheme where employees knowingly falsified records and related reports about health care access and quality vis a vis falsifying wait times. Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System was the worst in the nation, and a large portion of its employees believe there is no chance for improvement.
We will get into this and more during this edition of Monday Morning Quarterback for Veterans. I am your host, Benjamin Krause, creator of DisabledVeterans.org. This is where we hit on relevant topics pressing right now to give readers a quick update on numerous topics.
Here is what we will touch on today:
- Meet the worst VA in the country
- New fee card deal
- Prayer for VA leadership and veterans
- Read Secretary McDonald’s letter to VA employees
- Texas tackles VA crisis head on
- Congressional Hearing: Challenges in Rural America: VA Access and Mental Health Care
Poor management may be behind the most troubled VA health care facility in the country
Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS), located in part in Montgomery, Alabama, is the most troubled system in the nation according to an agency wide audit by VA that was initiated by former Secretary Shinseki.
Fifty-seven (57) percent of CAVHCS employees surveyed reported being told to falsify appointment dates.
Only 33 percent of employees reported they accurately recorded veteran appointment dates. The national average for VA health care facilities was 77 percent.
Forty (40) percent of VA employees at CAVHCS believe the process cannot be improved. The combination of these statistics makes CAVHCS the most troubled health care facility in the agency.
[See the ranking of your VA health care facility here.]
Compounding these problems are deficient management statistic across the board that could be at the root of poor audit numbers:
- Less than half of employees say supervisors check their work. Nationally, 80 percent of employees say their supervisor checks their work.
- Half of the employees get feedback on their work. Nationally, 95 percent of employees say their supervisors give such feedback.
VA Fee Card Fix
Congress passed legislation last week to help fix the problematic health care side of VA. The new legislation will allow certain veterans an opportunity to get timely health care in the community if the wait is greater than 30 days or if the nearest facility is more than 40 miles away.
The Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 is widely expected to address many of the problems that surfaced this spring regarding veterans’ access to medical care at VA facilities nationwide. It allows veterans to receive care outside the VA if they live more than 40miles from a VA facility or if they wait longer than 30days for an appointment.
Beyond this, VA will be able to more quickly fire certain VA leaders who are poor managers.
Once signed into law by President Obama, it will take around 90 days to take effect assuming VA implements it in a timely and efficient manner. I would not hold my breath, but who knows?
Prayer for VA leadership to not be blinded by lies and deceitful conduct
Here is what I will pray ever day all week, and I would be honored if you would join me. For my readers who are not religious, I ask that you at least be mindful of the harms faced by your brothers and sisters across the country with a moment of silence:
“Dear God, please provide Robert McDonald with wisdom to see through the lies perpetrated against veterans that interfered with the last Secretary’s mission. May you inspire him to take immediate action to promote the health and safety of veterans by immediately firing all VA employees suspected of harming or lying to veterans. May the lies told by VA employees and leadership appear hollow and false to all Americans.
“Please send your angels to Central Alabama to promote protection, safety and healing to sick veterans in that system. May you administer your healing to those veterans getting health care there, and to those honest and good health care providers who are working in the facility for your good works to help veterans.
“May you administer justice to those who are working in the facility that harm veterans through careless or intentional acts. May your protection extend to veterans at all VA facilities across the country, and please block those who perpetrate evil against veterans.
“May you provide an avenue for healing to those stuck in bureaucratic roadblocks by opening up health care options in local communities and by encouraging VA management to follow its own laws and basic human rights.
“May you provide wisdom and insight to those leaders within VA and our government who are rooting out evil within agency rank and file executives, managers, supervisors and front line employees who hate veterans. Amen.”
If you are a reader from any religion who has experienced a great act by a church organization to help veterans, please post a comment below. I would like to know how active America’s church communities are in combatting this great evil against our nation’s protectors.
Letter from Robert McDonald – the new VA Secretary – to VA employees
Robert McDonald, the new head of Veterans Affairs, issued a letter to all VA employees following his confirmation last week:
[Dear _______________,]
I am grateful to President Obama and to Congress for this opportunity to join the dedicated employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and I am honored to serve as your Secretary and lead VA. We are immensely fortunate to work in an organization with the noblest and most respected mission in Government—serving this Nation’s Veterans.
We have strong institutional values—Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence. We will all need to depend on and live by our values as we rise to meet the challenges ahead. Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson—my West Point classmate, a trusted friend, and a great leader—had it right in his recent statement to Congress: “We can turn these challenges into the greatest opportunity for improvement in the history of the Department.”
I recognize that the last few months have been difficult—and the days ahead will not be easy. In fact, many tasks that we must accomplish will be difficult, but I assure you that I will be with you each step of the way. I want to hear your ideas for improving the Department, and I will not tolerate those who stifle initiative, seek to punish people who raise legitimate concerns or report problems, or lack integrity in word or deed. Trust is essential in everything we do.
I am proud of the work you do and the mission we share, and I am determined to move forward to ensure that VA is the provider of choice for care and benefits for every generation of America’s Veterans.
I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in the coming days. God bless you all.
Robert A. McDonald
What do you think he should have said or added?
Read More: https://goldsborodailynews.com/blog/2014/08/01/new-va-secretary-issues-letter-employees/
Texas Gov. Rick Perry comments on Veteran Benefits and McDonald confirmation
Governor Rick Perry issued a public service announcement to state veterans about benefits available in the state.
“Texas has a long and proud tradition of taking care of those who protect and defend our freedom,” Perry said. “As Texans and Americans, it is our responsibility to step up where others have fallen short and to make sure our veterans know we are grateful for their service and will honor the commitments our nation has made to them. It’s my sincere hope the confirmation of Robert McDonald as VA Secretary begins the process of fixing this broken agency and the broken promises to our veterans.”
Governor Perry is also seeking cooperation from hospitals and clinics within the state to help veterans access health care while VA sorts through its rats nest of bureaucratic mayhem.
Upcoming Congressional Hearing
Challenges in Rural America: VA Access and Mental Health Care
House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs | Roswell Convention and Civic Center, 912 North Main Street Roswell, NM 88201 | Aug 6, 2014 11:15am
Ben where do i look that shows how to contact the media to get them to report our stories about what the va management is doing to us veterans
VA DEATHCare with death panels to kill vets for the bonous $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Its going to take more than a few firings/dismissals and reprimands to get this system fixed, because this agency for too long has had the freedom to do as it pleases and to fill in those dockets with friends and in-laws that will do exactly the same thing. I think all of the managerial staff (so called Vets Advocates as well)of these really poorly managed VA health centers need to be no only thoroughly investigated but prosecuted as well for falsifying federal documents. Because its not only immoral what they are doing its criminally illegal.
hello, I was told by a v.a. employee, that a e-mail was sent to all v.a. facilities that if any veteran complains about v.a. care, they are to call the local police 1st and then for the employee to contact the main facility. Is this really america.
there is more that scheduling problems, the v.a. is red flagging veterans who complain and past v.a. employees that are veterans are being retalated against, just because past employees rubbed management the wrong way. Veterans should be caring for veterans and fire those that are attacking the veterans.
VA employees, all up and down that chain of command, from the Secretary of the VA to the lowest paid employee, must come to understand that they work for the veterans, rather than a faceless bureaucracy or some self-serving bureaucrat. All the VSOs must do everything in their power to emphasize this message over and over all up and down the chain of command. The message must be sent from all echelons of each VSO to the CBOCs, VAMCs, VISNs, Vet Centers, VAROs, and VA headquarters within their area of influence. Let’s get busy, because we’ve got a lot of work to do!
WOW! the numbers at the AL. facility are totally unacceptable. 57% were told to falsify appointment dates and how many of those turned into “whistleblowers”? Any who did not or did nothing, you should be fired. You are and should do what your superior tells you up to a point. When you know that you have been told to do something that is not right or you think could be illegal then you report it. If you think no one will believe you then think that if all 57% became whistleblowers then something would have been done. The same goes for the other percentages of people. I hope these were not veterans’ that were told to do this and did nothing to correct a wrong because that shows a lack of support, care and brotherhood toward your fellow vet. You should have your fellow vet’s back and care more about him/her and making sure you are doing your best to help them.
And what else should Robert McDonald have said, “we will take the strictest and harshest punishment to anyone found doing wrong under my watch. The old way of manipulation and corruption will not be tolerated. If you feel that you cannot or will not be able to change to the new ways we will run this system, then you may terminate your employment now and we will replace you with someone who will.
sure hope Cleveland,Ohio RO gets investigated……..soon