Ten years ago, the Phoenix VA scandal which involved the death of 40 veterans because of schedule manipulation occurred. It was a dark moment for the biggest health care system in the country, and the same health care system that I depend on as well.
While there have been some improvements, and once you get inside the actual building, the care is very good, it still feels like we’re seeing some kind of problem with the VA when we turn on the news.
It might be records turning up at the home of an employee (story HERE).
It could be rats in a hospital (story HERE).
And sadly, it could be a VA partner not following the procedures needed to save a life (story HERE).
We still have so much work to do.
What’s it going to take? Well, you may have heard this all before.
Transparency is always key. We don’t always get that from a VA which feels like something of a monolith at times. It’s like shouting at an inanimate object during your most difficult hour. And they never have to answer for it. If they do answer questions at a congressional hearing, it still takes a long time for corrective action.
Better leadership is also a must. It feels like the VA puts most of its efforts into public relations instead of health care at times. They have podcasts and panels, but they ignore the real problems. It hurts to watch these segments when you’re a suffering veteran like myself.
It’s been ten years since Phoenix but we still have so much work to do. We can’t give up until we start seeing some changes.
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