Racist Leader Calls VA Whistleblower A ‘Mudshark’
Racist VA leadership at Phoenix VA disparagingly called Chief Financial Officer Tonja Laney, turned VA whistleblower, a “mudshark” for parenting two biracial children. The primary culprit, Phoenix VA chief of medicine, Brad Curry, used the term to describe white women who sleep black men evidenced by biracial children.
Others in leadership were complicit in the harassing behavior, which was confirmed by testimony under oath during an Equal Employment Opportunity investigation.
Few things surprise me, but I am always surprised when I hear the Federal government is still allowing racism to thrive without consequence. Blacks and whites were able to legally marry in the 1960’s. Yet, VA is still surprised to see a white person parent a biracial child?
Are these the fools we are to entrust our veterans to? How can ethnic minorities trust they will get equal health care to whites based on this revelation?
The top financial employee at Phoenix VA leveled that and other claims again fellow leadership at the facility in recent testimony as a whistleblower. Laney verified reports of problems at Phoenix VA of the “ethically bankrupt organization” at the location:
In an Arizona Republic interview, sworn testimony and whistleblower complaints to several federal agencies, Chief Financial Officer Tonja Laney characterized the Veterans Health Administration as an ethically bankrupt organization roiling with corruption and internecine conflicts.
Testifying under oath last June, Laney ripped the culture and leadership in Arizona’s VA health-care system, saying the stress at one point led her to attempt suicide.
“Phoenix is the most dysfunctional place I have ever been in my life,” she said, referring to the veterans medical center. “It is very toxic. … It’s an environment of harassment. It is an environment of lack of accountability.
“If you report things that occur, you know you run the risk of being retaliated against … You do whatever it takes in those circumstances to survive. And that’s Phoenix.”
As for the racist harassment, Laney was allegedly the target of Brad Curry, chief of Health Administrative Services. Curry was placed on leave from VA after the wait list scandal surfaced, after which he was tazed by police during a psychotic breakdown. Here is an excerpt from Laney’s diary as reported by The Republic:
In a diary provided to The Republic, Laney wrote that, beginning in May 2012, Brad Curry, chief of Health Administration Services, began spreading “rumors I was having sex in my office with (two colleagues).” A year later, she wrote that “Mr. Curry had referred to me as a mudshark, which he defined as a term used in the South for women who sleep with Black men, because I have biracial children …”
Laney’s journal entry was corroborated under oath by Robinson during an Equal Employment Opportunity investigation. According to the record, he testified that Curry admitted making the derogatory statements, received a written admonition, was told to apologize, and had to take a leadership course.
Curry could not be reached for comment. He, Robinson and Helman were placed on paid suspension in 2014 amid a patient-care scandal. Helman was later fired.
Apparently, Curry was still employed by VA despite behaving like a racist. He later became a flipped-out maniac who was tazed and shot with beanbags by area police while placed on leave alongside Helman.
SEE: Police Taze and Beanbag Flipped-Out VA Medical Chief
So Phoenix is now a place where you do what you can to survive. For veterans, it is also place they tried to get health care at to avoid dying. Within those two field posts, where can we get justice for veterans and the competent health care they need?
Say, you got a nice post.Really looking forward to read more. Want more.
Don’t believe everything you read.
The article was a bit misleading regarding the racist remarks. The sworn testimony reflects that Mr. Curry never used the racial remark. If fact, he never even new the term until questioned about it. Mr. Curry only admitted to a single instance of repeating a rumor about Ms. Lachey’s sexual improprieties.
When the truth finally comes out, Ms. Lachey will be the individual that most of the PHX VA issues will be pinned on, and rightly so…. Including the original wait-time scandal. Ms. Lachey set out to frame Mr. Curry, and she had a boyfriend, who work under Mr. Curry, falsify wait-time data in order to get Mr. Curry fired.
It is my understanding that Mr. Curry is very close to being fully exonerated.
Oh, and Ms. Lachey’s diary is a total “red herring.” Ms. Lachey is well-known for fabricating documentation well in advance of making accusations against her enemies in the VA. That is one reasons she is so upset about the search of her office last year. If a detailed examination of the materials seized is ever conducted, her scheming days would be numbered.
This just sounds stupid……. looks like Mr. Curry just joined us!!!
According to Pat, I am a mastermind…..lol. I don’t give myself enough credit for orchestrating the entire VA scandal. Do you really believe what you write? And you got Curry’s testimony wrong but now I know who you are. Why hide behind a fake name? Post under your real name so we can lay the facts on the table like the Investigation that exonerated me recommended disciplinary action for you “up to and including your removal” for slander and lying and you were found to be less than credible. Heck, you actually tried to plead the 5th to protect yourself against self incrimination. That was funny…..your in a room full of veterans slandering a veteran……sit down.
Also, “Pat”, it is WELL -KNOWN that no VA official is EVER required to “SWEAR TO TELL THE TRUTH” before testifying to ANY committee.
I smell a HUGE RAT!
Funny how these “very problematic people” will show-up on this forum and under false names and it’s always a dead-ringer when it’s a VA Employee in full defensive mode.
How does it feel to lie and worst of all, leaving Veterans to die while collecting your hopefully to end VA bonuses on the very back of the veterans you do disservice to?
Your hypocrisy makes me have the urge to defecate in your general direction. Your kind’s days are numbered…your job is to serve Vets…period! Majority of VA employees have totally lost their way and integrity along same way…while Vets so fed up they are now homeless or already have become another Veteran Suicide Statistic because your hostile environment and disrespect to those that have served have pulled the trigger for them by your games played. You should be too ashamed to show your face let alone post on here!
The unions that support and defend these despots need to be paying the fines not the American taxpayer
The VA Administration also attacks Veteran employees. I blame the VA Directors and the supervisor(s) of labor relations who perpetuate these concepts as well racketeering schemes with the unions who aren’t doing their jobs, but instead use politics to advance themselves while railroading the civil servants. The VA should be rewarding people for exposing the failed system, but they will usually create a wheel conspiracy to attack the whistleblower… through any means necessary and the VA is not above paying off an attorney. Because the VA is using tax payers dollars to fund their corruption
Obviously Curry has psychiatric issues and any decision about his future with the VA should wait until he is medically cleared to return to work. His comment about Laney being a ‘mudshark’ are reprehensible but alone should not end a career. It isn’t anybody’s business what one person thinks about another, but voicing racist thoughts is not to be tolerated, notwithstanding the complicating presence of a psychiatric illness. By the way, the term ‘mudshark’ originated, as I understand it, with blacks, not whites.
nam, I have tried to post on here but for some reason I cannot. If I get this resolved, I will give you the info.
namnibor, if you want to contact me I can give you some info for your brother that may help and some other things about the Indy VA.
My e-mail is [email protected]
Nobody says “let’s import MILLIONS of non-Blacks into EVERY & ONLY Black countries until Blacks become a minority, FORCE assimilate them into EVERY black community to create a “blended humanity”, give them Affirmative Action & free health care and push miscegenation 24/7 via movies/t.v shows & media(only in black countries)”
THEN, when the Blacks object we call them RACIST!
Of course not.
They only call WHITES “racist” for objecting to their own geNOcide.
Anti-racist is a >code< for anti-White
http://www.whitegenocideproject.com
I am blessed with private health insurance, but I have had two VA appointments since I retired from the AF. I was in for my last appointment, and I asked the clerk what he thought could be done to improve healthcare at the VA. I have my own ideas such as privatization, but wanted to hear his answer. He said, and I quote. More money for doctors and facilities, and a change in the veterans attitudes. Unreal…I rest my case… The VA is trying to be blind that they are broken, and always will be in denial.
“change in the veterans attitudes”. That reminds me of when I got a copy of my medical records, and found a write-up by a neurologist from years ago. I never knew he had made the note or that it was in my record. Since coming home from the Gulf, I have had splitting headaches at times and memory loss that is severe. I never could resolve the headaches, and the memory loss I have learned to compensate for by taking lots and lots of notes. What is strange is that I can recall some things in detail if my memory is jogged as in reading or conversation with others, but other things that should be significant I cannot recall in any manner, as if the event never happened. At some point I had some kind of test in which it showed I had a lesion on the left side of my brain, but the VA was quick to determine it was not service connected. How they could tell that from a single test I will never know. What did happen is that when I tried to get Neuro appointments, I was told I was wasting their time because my problems were PTSD. The mental health clinic said that while some symptoms overlapped with PTSD, they said the severity of some of the symptoms were neurological. I continued trying to get Neuro appointments. I had 3-4 appointments, and each one was rescheduled after waiting hours after the appointment time. The nurse would always come out and claim the doctor ran long with another patient, and that I needed to reschedule…even though I saw no other veterans come in to the clinic while I was waiting. I waited 5 hours and 20 minutes after the scheduled appointment time when I was told I had to reschedule once again. I told her just to cancel it because it was clear to me after 3 previous appointments that were rescheduled, they had no intention of seeing me. I don’t know if it was from what I said, or if I actually had a neuro appointment at some point there, but the note I found in my record from this quack was very angry in tone that I even bothered to show up, and that I had some sense of “entitlement” to treatment in their clinic. At one point I was told by the neuro doctor that I needed to just go to mental health and get treatment for my PTSD. They never could explain if these symptoms were only PTSD, why some were so much worse than others.
I do so wish I would have known of this note shortly after it happened.
Anyway, long after being bounced back and forth between neuro and mental health, I filed a claim for PTSD, and the VA denied it. I don’t know what record they finally saw, or if it was my appearance before the hearing officer on a Notice of Disagreement, but they did finally service connect PTSD.
Change my attitude? Yeah, clearly everything wrong with the VA is the fault of veterans actually expecting medical treatment.
I am sick and tired dealing with the failed Veterans Administration, they talk blah, blah, blah and deny, bully and will do more harm to a veteran and not blink a eye! Waste money on every idea that cost $$$$$ but will deny the veteran even travel pay. They mess a veterans health up and cause months or turmoil and don’t except any responsibility for the low class lying doctors but instead will give them a BONUS and a plague that has printed on it even more lies. There has been no real change and it is still “deny until you die!”
What is “Bob” sying or doing about this? What is “Bob” saying or doing about anything? “Bob”, as far as I read, says many things have been done so far, but more needs to be done, and “we” need even more money to do it! I gave “Bob” the benefit of the doubt last August, but I don’t see anything meaningful so far. Nobody does. No one has a favorable opinion of what has been done to improve the VA, which happens to remain in a high risk catagory by the GAO (not delivering on it’s purpose, and on everyone’s shitlist as an expensive tub of lard). Run by the scum of the earth. Ignored by most of the American public as another gov waste of time and money. And nobdy seems to have the answer because of all the roadblocks in the way.
I definitely have a very sinking feeling about Bob McD and all the other scum in the gov – more and more each and every day. I want to hear what Bob has to say in August after 1 year “on the job”
Bob didn’t answer my e-mails.
You should cc the House Committee of Veterans Affairs, @ [email protected] . General Counsel has been answering his e-mails which seems to be a violation of the use of another employees e-mails. Legally he cannot say he did not receive it if it is addressed to him.
It does not help at ALL given that just as of last week our President has stated, “I have full faith in the VA OIG and Secretary McDonald”…as long as the President continues to look the other way, happy with his “appointed lackeys”, *nothing will change*.
I also had high hopes for President Obama, as well as Sec. McDonald, giving the benefit of doubt. Just look how much of a MESS the Middle East is, effectively, all progress made now back to point zero, and cannot expect any more effort towards the VA either, unfortunately.
Notice how QUICK Pres. Obama sent his Dept. Of Justice Team to Cleveland, and ALREADY issued “a settlement” in Cleveland…all within a DAYS. WHY cannot the President do the SAME with the VA and sick the DOJ on the VA?
I will say it again, WE VETS ARE BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST in every way one could imagine…but nobody seems to be taking the problems seriously. WTF?!
As long as we have very few ex military reps in Congress, and a socialist president, we as vets are not represented by this Gov’t. Without the experience of military service, how can any of them be expected to understand. Who are they going to call when they come for us? Tell your sons, daughters, relatives that we will protect America until our dyeing breath; but we will not obey this gov’t any more if asked!! No more volunteers.
I don’t have to wait til August to be disgusted with “Bob”. It’s not the lack of any substantive action, it’s that he flat-out lied about how many VA hacks have been fired. It may be that he was fed bad information, but it should have been public news when he fired whoever fed him that information.
If he lied about something so easily checked like that, what else is he lying about?
Ben, the marriagesclose ere not legal all over this country in the 1960’s for whites and so called blacks as you phrased it. If you just watch YouTube you can learn a whole of the history of this country and “I so do remember those times.” Imagine Dr. Kings speech with Lincoln as the background. Those words were not spoken for the first time nor was it to the mTANTRUM sses that were out there. In fact it was those who knew it, and in that speech was it only about the “blacks” in this country? Recently on a form (which should not be on one at all ) it had the word “race” on it, and I am the answer to it.”Last Raethicsce 10K NOLA 1990.” In fact I couldn’t run, but I am one heck of a fast walker and I saw a person oh so damn close and was measuring the person up and knew I could take that garbage out pretty quickly. But, with the skills and knowledge of one who has been able to know my thinking wasn’t going to let me do that. Gee, I wonder, what color am I? Better yet if you wish to have any type casting of my behavior, fly on down and come see me. Because oh so well do some know me as and surely not at all. “I wonder, what does it mean when you hang the stars and stripes upside down?” SERIOUSLY, DO NOT TREAD ON ME.
IF YOU STILL BELIEVE ALL IS SO RED, WHITE AND BLUE? ( one of those colors is the correct answer of how I view people to be, but then again I just might mean all three?) Oh what tangled webs we weave. OR SHOULD I SAY ONE WISHES TO BUT JUST SCREWED UP BIG TIME, BECAUSE I THINK MY MOTHER WOULD RISE UP FROM THE DEAD AND CALL YOU OUT ON YOUR MANUFACTURED FECAL MATTER FOR EVER CALLING ME A TEMPER TANTRUM OR HYSTERICAL FEMALE. ( BUT SHE MIGHT AGREE WITH PBFH, BECAUSE I AM NOT STUPID, NOR AFRAID OF ANYTHING OR ONE.)
Although can someone explain to Ted Cruz that he cannot say things like less interference regarding your personal information or emails and then tell college kids to text in a number? I am still trying to understand how a homosexual or transgender person interfere with his first amendment rights? Buckle up, it’s a bumpy ride on the tour bus when you know a few things. Just take I-35 south, don’t forget one truth in the game called “life.”
Keep your friends close but your ____closer!
( there is no need to say or pretend in B.S., like we don’t store information, or hack into accounts and play games with the many or not sure if just one?) I do know some really strange truths and realities that the more I learn is I have taught to respect to do things I did and enjoyed but no thanks, I will hand stuff over, or have I already? One thing you can know is a truth can be made up about anyone or any entity including wars, no new taxes, juicing to win a race and make claims of time in service and and serving a platter of lies while packing heat. ( who knew? Go figure, because I stick to a code of ethics which also means I can hammer you with, but have added to it. BTW did you look up what I wrote to you in an email?) I can tell you to think back to what was written about a company? Imagine, it is the gift that keeps on giving when you get caught but as I learned many years ago, “sticks and stones may break my bones but you can call me any name you want, but a liar, a temper tantrum? They gotta get a tad better than that! Hell, I can even play a game of an illusion called crazy! NEXT?
Do you think the President told Curry he was doing a good job on his most recent visit????????
Is EVERYTHING the PRESIDENT’S fault. Man up and stay on point! There are TOO MANY problems that “WE” Veteran’s need addressed in regards to healthcare, PTSD, SUICIDES and life issues to be wasting time with idiotic remarks.
Didn’t “BLAME” the President just asked a question, sorry you read it that way.
What I can’t get over from the Phoenx article is the reference to VA Headquarters cover up of the Phoenix PR directors release of 70,000 veterans sensitive information to non-VA staff. Wow! How come no one is discussing that?
I read this over the weekend and wondered if Ben would post on it. Some may focus on race as the issue, but what I gathered from it is that leadership, whether it’s a supervisor, manager, director or SES in DC, is just thoroughly corrupt throughout the VA, and Phoenix shows that clearly. You have management at all levels there backstabbing each other, with incidents that reach the EEO, Office of Special Counsel and other levels, and the behavior is allowed to continue. I was shocked reading that Curry was still employed after such racist comments. It’s no wonder so many vets died waiting on care. Too many Phoenix VA employees were too busy trying to take each other out rather than do their damn jobs. Not only do they fight these little personal vendettas, but when it doesn’t turn out the way they want, they refuse to let it go and continue hammering employees. As in the case of the PR lady being vindicated by the IG, and rather than accept the facts, Phoenix hacks continued to go after her. Yes, she made some stupid moves, but discipline her and move on rather than continuing to try to destroy her. I keep harping on it, but Congress should be at the forefront of this holding hearings on why VA management refuse to take action against those who harass, retaliate and conspire against those trying to do their jobs. Sending someone to a leadership class is not going to fix an entire broken system.
05/26/15
Dear 91Veteran and Benjamin Krause,
Both of you fell for it ——I have been reading Mr. [Polk Award winner] Wagner’s piece of Art for days. The Timing, the Substance, and the infighting, and the Journalism brought this matter to the forefront.
Let this writer remind everyone what is on the table:
At the top of the list are “homicides,”
stated last year in May on National TV, Fox Network by the Judge.
The estimated numbers are in the hundreds.
Wisconsin 33 See Sen. Baldwin
Phoenix 293 Gannett’s and CBS’s and the VA’s numbers
LA Where is Senator Boxer and Senator Feinstein?
Denver
Ohio
NY
NJ
PA
etc….
Add them up!
VA Secretary Mr. Bob McDonald has not responded to my letters, nor my questions about the 293 dead on 08/08/2015 down in the bottom of the Basement of the VA in Phoenix.
No one has been fired at the top level—just removed, but one of the whistleblowers was shot at while at home and fled/ forced out of state here in Arizona according to a kin’s testimony of a veteran who was a patient in Phoenix [recently].
One year of a Massive PR Campaign
One year of a Massive Cover-up
One year our Congress was either Duked or the Lied to America
Efforts to Privatize the VA exposed.
Multiple Countries have the same problems with their VAs in Canada, England, Australia, and the US.
This Skim makes Whitey look like an angel.
Recent Lawsuits and unusual high payments to “whistleblowers:”
Omnicare Inc.
Abbott Laboratories
PharMerica
DaVita HealthCare Partners
Thomas Murton said it well back in 1968, “We are talking about Murder!”
To this day they have never dug up the graves [200] in Arkansas.
[“They” already know the answer]
As Carl Icahn’s Gannett swallows up all the newspapers and the real news is hard to find, people will fight back and forth about Beyonce Tickets and who said what and completely miss the sane information.
Halter wrote “Wake Up America” it did not help, and his last words were “Did we do enough,” something he pick-up from Ron Paul.
The Major Countries was awoken today by the World Organization warning them of their Debt and Aging Populations.
For some this is very old, old news.
What is news is nobody really gives a shit, really!
But you might have known this too!
Sincerely,
Don Karg
We might finally see another firing. It won’t be triggered by the egregious treatment of veterans, though. It will happen because someone made comments that are simply not acceptable in today’s world.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not complaining about this. This is a reprehensible, racist statement from what appears to be a genuinely worthless human being. Most of the bad actors in the VA, however, are likely to have a filter between the pea brains and their mouths. It’s just that we shouldn’t have to wait for a crooked bureaucrat to make a verbal faux pas before axing his/her ass.
It’s like going after Al Capone for tax evasion. We already know the misconduct exists, and we shouldn’t have to rely on technicalities to get rid of these idiots.
This whole mess is a direct result of no leadership. The organization is too big that they have forgotten why they were hired in the first place. I don’t see any changes because the congress and the American people just don’t care in fact they hope it goes away. What a shame we have a country that puts the needs of foreign aid ahead of veterans needs.
Our country is getting worse rather than better with race relations.
I was assaulted by my lead supervisor, along with proof positive harassment for standing up to him.
This has gone on for a year and I have been trying to ignore it, however it is now out of control.
This same supervisor has assaulted two other employees, lied to the VA police and has been caught in the act of telling a subordinate to lie for him. This is a lead supervisor that is over the other supervisors.
A “Alternative Dispute Resolution” team was at our hospital for other matters, (all kinds of turmoil here) and I told him about the Lead Supervisors actions. He asked me what I would like to see happen. I told him that I wanted to see this mad fired. He said, well, we can’t just go around firing people.
Three assaults, telling a subordinate to lie for him, and causing an accident and lying to the VA police about it, (caught in the act), but you can’t fire him? What’s it going to take?
That brings me back to the Race issue, I have contacted several lawyers and the number one question is, what color are you? I went to see one and he would not take my case-even with overwhelming evidence because I am a white male. Not a racist white male, just a white male. Blacks, browns, yellows and reds have married into my family, I am NOT a racist, but it does go against me to be a white male these days
The simple problem is that it is an abuse of authority. It is like any circumstance. If you make it seem like there is a racial issue, the losing party will play the race card. If a child is losing his privileges , not to be grounded, he will play the abuse card. I am a person of color and find it disgusting that whites get accused of being racist and the accusers go unchecked with these uncontested statements. It is very offensive to be called a racist in the context that you hate someone. The suffix -ist is not correct in it’s use. It means to be proficient in, such as pianist, machinist, violinist etc. The Secretary is unequivocally a penis, but that is another story for the 11 o’clock edition of Bens Blogs. Some blacks perpetuate hatred within themselves and against whites. I just can’t a fully certified douchebag. period! Whites and others are killed by law enforcement all the time and get no attention. When you have cases where there are ties to a hatred group, then you may have an argument, but uncontested bias is simply wrong, wether your ding-a-ling is green, blue , black, white and even orange. But as a corpsman, if your gear is glowing in the dark, you better find some rosary beads and say a prayer!
Ben said: “Blacks and whites were able to legally marry in the 1960’s” I submit that it took a U.S. Supreme Court case for this to happen (Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967)); perhaps it will take the same for the VA to make progress?
You know, MLK was the first one in history to fight against the one percenter’s, and he made significant progress. That is evidence of how the one percenter’s have manipulated infighting in society through laws to stagnate progress which costs profits for big easy money. RIP MLK!
Really your surprised ,This Administaton ,had been promoting racial hatred and your just now seeing this ? I really thought after the new Millinieum that racial prejudices were better,King Obama & his cronies Holder & Sharpton advocate hate look at Fergason Baltimore ,thier irresponsible comments only add fuel to a a fire that’s already out of control. I live a couple hours from Fergason ,about 2 weeks after we had another cop shooting of an unarmed white man ,there was no justice for him ,the cop was cleared of any wrong ,As for the racial remark about whistleblower ,can’t that be considered a hate crime? Who gives a damn about what color her kids are? That’s not anyone Buisness but hers,They try to spread hate & discontent to keep everyone distracted from what they are doing ,Running the VA into the ground ,.
YUP AND HOW IS THAT WORKING?
To me this is just more evidence that VA Secretary McDonald didn’t take any of his words and promises very seriously when he took over the VA. When whistleblower’s keep getting retaliated against, you know Mr. McDonald didn’t mean it when he said there would be more accountability and transparency at the VA. Going so far as slandering someone by calling her a mudshark is just another example of that lack of accountability. The Phoenix VA is no different from any other VA. God bless veterans. Screw the VA!
Unfortunately, it sounds like she did a great description of the state of health of the WHOLE VA System, not solely isolated to Phoenix location. The Phoenix location just serves as but a microcosm sampling of what can be found at ANY given VAMC or VARO…or anywhere upwards in VA’s Administration chain of command.
Perhaps the DOJ should have been investigating the VA System *instead* of the VA OIG and with more fervor?!?
The 5th floor of the Indy VA hospital pretends to treat mental health. Their real purpose is to discredit a vets request for PTSD compensation!
Agent, I have been to that floor a few times and I can say I agree with you 100%. I still wonder when the Indy VA will make its way into the spotlight as this VAMC thinks whatever it does is above any type of recourse and they DO NOT care what you think, do, or say. It is their way or no way. I will soon be leaving this VAMC as I can no longer stand it.
I hope that you have better luck.
My brother has to use that VA…after a 60 mile drive each way, no other option for him. Over the course of about 5 years, they have kept giving very ‘old school’ antidepressants, now about 11 different ones, none working, and refuse to listen to my brother who tells them his only brother (me) has really BAD side effects from all types of antidepressants and the ONLY one I can take is a more modern one called Cymbalta…one would think genetics would be taken into account but NO, the Indy VA simply makes my brother feel as if they are experimenting on him, never listening to him and how each of those terrible and older meds adversely affect him…they are shooting darts at what’s on their “Formulary”, not wanting to approve Cymbalta, when Cymbalta in-fact NOW has had a Generic for last whole 14 months.
He has also stated that the waiting areas are SO NOISY that he quite often misses his appointment because if you do not HEAR the ONE TIME your name is called, and NOT voiced above all the noise, no, just a timid medical assistant at desk, you have to reschedule. When he tried to just stand up by the desk so he could HEAR his name, he was viewed as a “threat” and VA Police called. He suggested a flash card on a poster with his name on it and to perhaps do something about all the LOUD patient’s talking over each other and my brother was asked if HE was a “racist”…only because the offending loud mouthed “patients” are not really there for appointments anyway….my brother said it seems to be the very same people **just hanging out in patient waiting areas and talking to ANYONE whom may listen to them and same groups of people may be possibly homeless Vets that are allowed to harass patients…he calls that Indy VAMC “The Mouth of Hell”. He already knows the Patient Advocate is a joke because they also asked him if he was “Race Sensitive”, rather than EVER addressing the actual problems, being told “no one else ever complains”…Aggghhh!
The Indy VA does not care. My brother is about to cease using the VA entirely and with considerable expense, use the healthcare benefits for the company he works full time for, which means costly monthly premiums and copays but he has simply HAD IT with the Indy VA and it’s Psych Dept…never mind the medical Dr.’s that have given him wrong meds for his conditions over and over…again, the Indy VA simply does not care.
I too, am waiting for the Indy VA to be fully exposed for the “Mouth of Hell” it indeed is. This is the SAME VA the supervisor was placed on paid leave for her depiction of Veteran’s with puppets…in the Psych Dept.
Again, if members of Congress were forced to use the VAMC’s even for just a FULL YEAR, these self-absorbed asses would have changes implemented immediately.
VA Employees have NO REASON to be afraid because it’s next to impossible to fire them, let alone proper discipline and think the Civilian Element as well as the VA Employee Union keeps the status quo this way.
nam, the 5th floor is the STICC clinic that deals with homeless vets as well as the Psych. Dept. Many of the ones hanging out are indeed vets who have no place to go so they let them hang in the waiting room. Because of that, the whole area is a time bomb waiting for that one thing to set it off. Why would you combine who’s who have to deal with depression (as I do) with the homeless vets? I am not degrading the homeless vets as I am one of those as well.
I have had so many of those “darts” thrown at me. They go down the list until they find the med(s) that have the least side effects and use that med. The Cymbalta is a “restricted” med (at least that is what I was told) and that “special permission” was needed to get it.
The Patient Advocate is a huge joke. I have complained to them so much and nothing, NOT ONE THING was done to try and resolve a problem. It was put back on me as being the problem. I seem to be the problem a lot when it comes to the VAMC. It is never their fault or problem.
@Figure8Fan-
Thanks for that explanation…definitely more than my brother has ever been told of why it’s the nightmare that it is.
I am also NOT hostile toward or about homelessness, as have been there myself for a short period while VA Claim and SSDI Claim was in the works at same time.
The environment in that waiting area is NOT conducive/proper for people with mental issues waiting for an appointment and it is obvious the VA is doing very little to help the homeless Vets since my brother has experienced this for a solid/steady 5 years there…there’s also apparently the County Hospital directly next door to that VA and you are correct, it seems it’s a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.
The VA is so out of touch though, because “homelessness has no ethnicity”, as it can happen to anybody. But the Indy VA “plays the race card” on anyone that dares to complain about the unhealthy environment in a PSYCH WAITING AREA…and I have to ask, Figure8Fan, has that VA done *anything* to get you into at least Public Housing or do they claim there’s a “wait list years long”?
Sounds like it will only be time before the Indy VA is in the news again in a negative way, because I believe my brother when he says it’s incredibly adversarial and my brother’s wife is a nurse, but it would be even MORE $ for he to be on her insurance than his own employer’s, which also is incredibly costly. She only went with him *once* to that Indy VA and she said it was an awful environment for anyone, let alone veterans…she also commented on the general state of disheveled and uncleanliness of that VA, stating it looked like an infectious disease breeding ground…MRSA, et al.
What are your options as far as a different VA? Require moving out of State? By the way, my brother cannot get authorization for the ‘Choice Card’ even though he is 60 miles one way away from it because the VA claims there’s a “satellite clinic” more near him but that clinic has *nothing for his conditions*…same story, the VA is non-compliant. They do not care.
nam, I will put my e-mail address on here so we don’t take up space on this blog for something not really related to the topic.
I have always thought that a blog that we can all discuss things like this would be great. We all have so much info and if we could share it via some type of “blog” we could reach out to all vets. Think of the info we could provide each other and help our fellow vets out! It could be broken down into subjects (comp, health, paperwork, ETC…), and/or areas (parts of the body that we are having trouble with, how to find out something, homelessness, ETC…)and the wealth of knowledge we could supply would be so powerful.
If you are not comfortable with the e-mail then we can try to find another way to communicate. I have some info that your brother might find useful.
[email protected]. Ben can let you know that this is good as I have contacted him several times.
nam, my reply did not post for some reason. I will put my e-mail address on here so we can discuss this and not get too far off topic for this blog.
If you are uncomfortable with replying to an e-mail, let me know and we can figure out something.
My e-mail is: [email protected]
@Figure8Fan-
Thanks for that, but I have to be honest and tell you that *anytime* I have corresponded with someone with a Hotmail email address, my Norton 360 Anti-Virus, which admittedly is very aggressive and reason I continue to use it, I have every time ended-up with some sort of Trojan or virus of some variety. Do you happen to have a gmail or other email addy? Thanks.
NB
Took a little time to reply in order to reflect how to respond without sounding like an a**.