Shulkin’s New Gig: Former VA Sec Hired On At Sanford Health
Former VA Secretary David Shulkin is in the news again, for a less controversial but still noteworthy reason: he has found new employment in the private sector.
Sanford Health, a Sioux Falls-based nonprofit healthcare provider, has taken on the deposed government bigwig as their “Chief Innovation Officer.” If you live in my neck of the woods, you may have seen commercials for their Orthopedics and Sports Medicine center.
Then again, they have 382 locations worldwide. Most of these locations are in the American Midwest, near their flagship in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. According to their website, they are the single largest employer in the Dakotas, with over 28,000 staff and 1,300 physicians.
In any case, you may recall that David Shulkin was credited as being a main adversary of President Trump’s plans to privatize much of VA healthcare delivery. Of course, VA is already largely privatized, and what Trump proposed did not seem like a stretch beyond what was already happening under the previous administration.
Most veterans’ advocacy groups are against privatizing and simply in favor of funding VA properly, which has never worked out regardless of the political persuasion of the president.
For a flashback, to newbies, Shulkin served as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for a year. Halfway into his tenure, Shulkin was investigated by IG for improperly accepting Wimbledon tickets and using agency money to fund his wife’s trip to Europe.
Once the scandal broke, and an internal coup ended with Shulkin being fired and all hell breaking loose in the agency. Now, Shulkin works for Sanford, and DOD insider Robert Wilkie now runs VA under the close watch of White House politicos.
Shulkin’s new employer is in expansion mode. The nonprofit is presently working a $1 billion deal to merge with a health system in Illinois and HealthPartners in Minnesota.
It also seems safe to say we can expect some partnerships with VA and the company in the near future. If something is not in the works yet, I promise you it will happen.
Source: https://www.kvrr.com/2018/09/11/fired-veterans-affairs-secretary-lands-job-with-sanford-health/
“Q and military intelligence has been warning of mass court martials for the deep staters”….LOL..Don’t hold your breath. I hate to burst your bubble but Q is nothing more than a Psyop giving people a false sense of hope.
It’s all bullshit making you think something is going to change, well it’s not and only going to get worse,
And the selected Trumpster is part of the deep state
“https://youtu.be/gp5JCrSXkJY?list=RDdlc6xCPx60U&t=1”
Shithead shulkin blows like a hurricane and wilkie ain’t much better.
More swamp begats swamp. A never-ending nightmare of corruption and piss poor leadership.
Rico act this garbage organization already trump.
Oh wait…
“namnibor, Seymore, DisabledForgottenOIveteran and others:::
You remember the Admiral who was attacked by the Dems after President Trump nominated him for Secretary of VA!
Have you seen where Rep. Feinstien sent a recommendation to the FBI to have Judge Kavanaugh investigated for an “alleged sexual assault”! Which occurred decades ago!
This seems to be the only thing left for the democrats!
Here’s something else to consider:
This was right after Rep. Graham had a very interesting “exchange” over how individuals “CAN BE TRIED BY MILITARY TRIBUNALS FOR COLLABORATING WITH THE ENEMY!”
Here’s some more interesting info;
1.) Graham was spotted hugging Huma Abadin right after “no names” funeral by Gen Kelly and Mattis.
2.) Gen Kelly gave Graham a “sign” of: *”I got my eye on you, asshole!”* At which point Graham didn’t know what to do!
3.) According to reports, Guantanamo Bay, Gitmo has been going through massive amounts of referbishments for months.
4.) According to a “military.com” article, 12 Sept 2018, “A courtroom is being built at Guantanamo Bay, Gitmo!”
This is a new report on something which could have been accomplished awhile ago!
Have you seen the video where Gov. Kasich states “no name McCain”, quote: *”…WAS PUT TO DEATH!”* unquote!
It was during an interview Kasich and Cuomo were having!
Many people, commenters, couldn’t understand why CUOMO didn’t stop the interview and ask: “WHAT the hell do you mean by that?”
Kasich is mentally half-baked and the AG running for Gov. in which they cannot even get a medical cannabis program up and running on time…purposeful sabotaging and mismanagement…not as stupid as the trail of drool to each would have you believe.
Yes, I am familiar with everything you listed Elf. The mirror of 9/11 or 1/19 January of next year there will be a change taking effect that has to do with court martials.
Why else would they need to ban the r/greatawakening Q thread on reddit? Q and military intelligence has been warning of mass court martials for the deep staters.
Let’s just hope that includes people at the wizard land of VA
“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t1NJcoR5oY”
From: “military.com”
Dated: 14 Sept 2018
Titled:
“Congress Passes Spending Deal, Bids to Avert Government Shutdown”
Google the title to read the article!
(In this bill is monies allocated to allow Veterans to use outside healthcare. How many people want to bet, the contractors will be getting richer?)
I’m wondering if Sanford and Shulkin (SS…had a ring to it in WWII) will have their hands in that cookie jar with a new Midwest Choice Contract?
“Congress Passes Spending Deal, Bids to Avert Government Shutdown”
They will never shut the Gubbermint down ..(BUT I WISH THEY WOULD) because you can’t rob the cookie jar if it’s empty…
If your not with us you are against us… George Bush …I’m against all those crooks, So I know I’m on their Shit list and I think T’s name is right beside mine…LOL
Titled:
“Drug-Running, Lax Opioid Testing Found in VA’s Residential Treatment Programs”
From: “Military.com”
Dated; 13 Sep 2018
By: “Richard Sisk”
“Poor oversight and failures in testing procedures led to two non-fatal fentanyl overdoses last year at a VA residential treatment program in upstate New York in which patients acquired the potent synthetic drug from another veteran at the facility, the VA’s Office of Inspector General reported Wednesday.”
“In a similar report in July, the IG found that lax oversight and poor communication among staff were factors in the overdose death of a patient at another unidentified VA residential drug treatment program in 2015. That patient was found dead in a locked bathroom. An autopsy attributed the cause of death to a heroin overdose.”
“In the case at the Bath, N.Y., VA Medical Center’s treatment program, Matthew Helmer, 34, of Hyde Park, N.Y., a resident in drug treatment, was charged in October 2017 with felony counts of drug possession by federal prosecutors, who alleged that he was a “runner” for other veterans in the program, the local Star-Gazette newspaper reported.”
“In court documents, a VA investigator said Helmer told him that “he knew that [patients] overdosed and were currently in the hospital,” but was unaware of how they acquired the synthetic opioid fentanyl, the newspaper reported.”
“Drug paraphernalia was found in Helmer’s room and he acknowledged that heroin was his own drug of choice, the newspaper said.”
“The IG’s report focused on the 170-bed Domiciliary Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (DRRTP) in Bath, a town in New York’s “southern tier” near the Pennsylvania border.”
“The DRRTP is part of the Bath VA Medical Center, the VA’s oldest health care facility. The Bath facility was set up in 1865 as the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers returning from the Civil War. It currently serves about 13,000 veterans in the region.”
“The IG’s report noted that “the Veterans Health Administration does not require treatment programs to routinely test for illicit drugs, such as fentanyl, that are trending in the community.”
“Following the two non-fatal fentanyl overdoses, the Bath center changed its urine drug screening (UDS) methods to include testing for the presence of fentanyl, but the tests went to “a non-VA laboratory with a turnaround time that compromised the timeliness of clinical intervention and overdose prevention,” the IG report found.”
“The result was that “the OIG determined that the facility’s fiscal year 2017 positive UDS tracking data was inaccurate.”
“The report also cited Bath center staff as saying that urine screening results were not properly recorded.”
“The residential treatment program then went to a system in which “color-coded stickers” were placed on the doors to the rooms of residents with a history of opioid use who were believed to be at high risk for suicide, the IG’s report said.”
“The sticker system was discussed at meetings, but “key staff reported being unaware of its use for residents at high risk for suicide,” said the 37-page report by Dr. John D Daigh Jr., assistant Inspector General for Healthcare Inspections.”
“The report also found that staff at the residential treatment program “did not have sufficient personal protective equipment or training to safely conduct contraband searches of residents’ rooms and belongings.”
“It cited several case studies at the Bath treatment program indicating that drugs including fentanyl were available for those who wanted them.”
“In the case of a veteran identified as “Resident B,” who had recently completed an in-patient program for opioid detoxification, a routine urine test taken 15 days after he became a Bath resident was positive for opioids. On the 19th day, a search of Resident B’s room “produced a baggie of unknown pills, a small orange cap with unidentified powder in it, a knife with a blade longer than three inches, straight razor blades, a needle, and a packaging wrapper for suboxone,” the report said.”
“Another urine test was positive for the presence of fentanyl. “On Day 20, Resident B declined discharge planning and was discharged irregularly,” the case study said.”
“In response to the IG’s report, Dr. Joan McInerney, director of the VA’s New York/New Jersey Health Care Network, concurred with the findings and pledged action to correct deficiencies.”
“The Veterans Integrated Service Network will conduct an evaluation of the Bath VA Medical Center processes for fentanyl test results, turnaround times and notification of results. Appropriate action will be taken based on the process evaluation result,” McInerney said in a statement.”
“In the case of the veteran’s overdose death in 2015, the IG’s report in July found that staff at the unidentified residential treatment program failed to take a number of steps that might have resulted in an intervention.”
“The patient had refused, or claimed the inability to provide, a urine sample, the report said. In that circumstance, “staff were required to review the appropriateness of residential care to determine whether the patient should continue in the program and, if so, under what conditions. For this patient, no documented action was taken,” the report said.”
“On a Monday morning, a registered nurse on staff found “that the patient appeared to be sweating, had tremors, and was less engaged in treatment. That afternoon, a program psychologist met with the patient.”
“The psychologist stated in an interview the patient ‘was doing really well in the program’ and that there was not anything that stood out to indicate the patient was using drugs or suicidal,” the report said. “The next day, the patient entered a single-room public bathroom on the main floor of the facility, which could be locked from within.”
“Later that evening, the patient was discovered unresponsive in the bathroom by a maintenance staff member. A Code Blue was initiated; however, the Code Blue team was dispatched to the wrong area,” the report said. “They subsequently arrived at the correct location, assessed the patient, and determined that resuscitation was futile because the patient appeared to have been dead for several hours.”
“The abuse of fentanyl and other opioids has been singled out by President Donald Trump as a main factor in the suicide rates of the civilian and veteran populations.”
“In July, the Justice Department reported that the number of federal fentanyl prosecutions has more than tripled, from 74 defendants in 51 cases in fiscal 2016 to 267 defendants in 181 cases in fiscal 2017.”
“This crisis is devastating,” U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in Concord, New Hampshire, on July 12. “But we will not stand by idle. We are not going to accept the status quo. We will not allow this to continue.”
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Here’s the comment section.
Conrad Vonblankenburg13 hours ago
SHOCKED! DOPE fiends craving DOPE! The Quacks at the VA and elsewhere perscribe DOPE and get patients addicted then FAIL again to clean um up! I avoid these Witch Doctors at all costs!
I hope duh, duh, dr. shulkin Innovative Chief implements the same VA drug formulary with all its F*@! restrictions that he turned a blind eye to; while swearing to do “right for Veterans.” If given CHOICE contracts, for sure he’ll be over billing x3 because he was innovatively motivated while employed by VA & actually got “caught” for accepting tickets to a tennis game, and billing VA for his wife’s plane ticket…really??? VA employees are not supposed to even attend free dinner seminars from drug reps (that has been policy for more than a decade); wink.wink. Maybe we will see him doing patient exams via Internet, like he did for VA patients, oh wait!! He could actually be sued by the Private Sector! Privatize VA, so all Veterans can receive some of his Chief Innovation Officer suggestions that he couldn’t implement while at VA!
One more thought: Mark my words, Shulkin will now use Sanford Health as a step-stool to be able to reach into whatever is left of the Veteran Choice Cookie Jar…he’s not quite tall enough to reach but Sanford could catapult him along with a nice Choice Contract for Sandford Hell. (not a misspell)
Again, wait for it….
I did intend on *Sanford*, rather than ^SANDford^, then realized it was a Freudian Slip, because if Sanford and Innovative Shulky land a Choice Contract, the SAND in SANDford would be the grit added to the vaseline once Veteran Choice and Veterans start getting reamed by SANDford Shulky Hell.
The VA WHack-A-Mole (WHAM) game piece is on the move and has gone inventively innovative rogue with Sanford!
Lamprey are really hard to get rid of…
May I point-out that I decided to NOT move back out to the Black Hills, S.Dakota based primarily on fact that if I should need to use the VA instead of my current use of Medicare, the VAMC is SHIT…I repeat…SHIT out in the Black Hills, S.Dakota.
Shit!
A very good friend of mine is a retired RN from privater sector and has lived and worked entire life in the Dakotas and knows how FUCKED-UP the VA is in the Dakotas…SHIT! (did I say SHIT yet?)
It’s befitting for Shulkin to be “Chief Innovation Officer”…(HA HA HA HA)…maybe they will get designer furniture and genetically modified flies in their sterile medical environments, and maybe a VA-like ‘Candyman’ drug dispensing problems, or exploding bodies in body bags in showers under Shulkin’s “Innovation Watch”?….HA HA HA HA HA
The Black Hills VA is S H I T…and was *supposed* to be abandoned and demolished or repurposed…NOT NO MORE…Innovative Shulky is in da’ House!!!!
(Even my cat is laughing at this golden turd parachute of Shulkin’s…HA HA HA)