Do you agree, VA secretary predicts sea of change at agency while touring Pittsburg, PA?

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 08:59:30 -0500

Do you agree, VA secretary predicts sea of change at agency while touring Pittsburg, PA?

Check out this article RP Members - Is there a "sea of change"?

http://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/touring-pittsburgh-va-secretary-predicts-sea-of-change-at-agency-1.379486

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald on Tuesday toured Pittsburgh, touting improvements in patient care, a slew of fresh hires and new leadership training he anticipates will effect a “huge culture change” within an agency plagued by scandal in recent years.

In his 15th month helming the 340,000-employee department, McDonald rebuffed criticisms that the VA is not doing enough to resolve issues such as wait-list manipulation and hefty patient backlogs, and that it's not moving quickly enough to discipline supervisors who retaliate against whistleblowers.

“The best customer-focused companies in the world are those where the employees are making the changes and not waiting for management to make the changes,” said McDonald, whose wife grew up in Western Pennsylvania.

“And where we find that we have leaders who are not creating that kind of culture, we take action and we move them and we discipline them.

Touring Pittsburgh, VA secretary predicts sea of change at agency

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald on Tuesday toured Pittsburgh, touting improvements in patient care, a slew of fresh hires and new leadership training he anticipates will effect a “huge culture change” within an agency plagued by scandal in recent years.

Response by Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth made Nov 19 at 2015 9:01 AM

Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 09:01:23 -0500

Talk is cheap...I will believe it when I see it. Don't pour water on my back and tell me I am sweating!!!!

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Nov 19 at 2015 9:03 AM

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 09:03:31 -0500

COL Mikel J. Burroughs I must admit I have seen a drastic change from 120 days to about 60 days wait time at the VAHampton Medical Center. Slowly but surely change is in the horizon.

Response by SGT Beau Thomas made Nov 19 at 2015 9:15 AM

SGT Beau Thomas — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 09:15:09 -0500

I recently got a significant rating, it took 8 months from when I did my online application and downloaded all the medical evidence, civilian and military. I was sent to two DR appointments a couple months later then just waited a few months. I didn't put my dependents on the form so my disability pay was lower than expected, I took 20 minutes to put the correct info through ebenefits, it was adjusted within 24 hours. The VA is getting it together in my opinion.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Nov 19 at 2015 10:16 AM

LTC Stephen F. — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 10:16:47 -0500

COL Mikel J. Burroughs I have not seen any positive changes at the Martinsburg, WV VAMC since this se of change was initiated. The level of care and respect was very high to begin with. Doctors have been short in some fields.
One change I did not notice last week reminded me of the bureaucratic definition of change can include moving people around. When I was having my eyes checked, the optometry nurse was training another nurse. I asked the new new where he came from expecting it to be another facility. He was moving from orthopedics to optometry.
I expect that Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald is doing what he can to institute positive change. Hopefully he will improve VBA functioning and courtesy towards veterans.
Filling medical gaps with trained doctors, nurses, and technicians will take time. It would be great if many of those trained medical personnel who left their practices [voluntarily and involuntarily] when Obamacare was beginning to "function" would feel called to work in VA treatment facilities.

Response by MAJ Alvin B. made Nov 19 at 2015 10:26 AM

MAJ Alvin B. — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 10:26:11 -0500

I will remain skeptical [My personal experiences with the organization have been less then positive.]

I fully understand he has a monumental task to accomplish and the course will not be corrected overnight. Change of this magnitude is measured in years, not months, and will at some point require changes in attitude (and aptitude) as well as some degree of change in personnel at all levels if it is to be accepted as the way we now work.
I am not interested in platitudes, promises, or vague optimistic statements. I am interested in demonstrable customer acknowledged results.
Given that people perceive the benefits and impact of positive change at a rate which lags the actual change itself, he should be showing numbers and accomplishments and where the VA is on the journey in relation to the objective [perhaps Kotter should be mandatory reading for all at the VA]. However, I suspect that in the rush to "make things better" no one took the time to actually benchmark the status of the VA in order to track the journey from where they were to where they ought to be.
I truly do hope we are seeing a change and that health care is improving for our veterans across the board, not just at select facilities. We owe our veterans more then we so far seem to be willing to give.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Nov 19 at 2015 11:16 AM

LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 11:16:41 -0500

We can only hope...

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 19 at 2015 12:45 PM

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 12:45:17 -0500

no .. .i don't think anything will actually happen that will change the life of a Vet.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 19 at 2015 1:21 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 13:21:40 -0500

COL Mikel J. Burroughs, I don't know if all of this article is true, but what I do know is a friend of mine went to the VA yesterday at noon for a 1300 appointment. At 1830 last night he was still there, waiting in the pharmacy for his prescription. That is entirely unacceptable and poor practices.

Response by Sgt Spencer Sikder made Nov 19 at 2015 4:03 PM

Sgt Spencer Sikder — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 16:03:26 -0500

Isn't it basic damage control 101, put out the story line you want and repeat it frequently, at some point it will take traction?

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Nov 19 at 2015 4:15 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 16:15:38 -0500

Change, just change? Where's the hope? Don't they go hand-in-hand? Sorry. I'm a cynic. Government made one of me. All I know is that it always gets bigger and bigger is definitely not better, not with government.

Response by SSG Todd Halverson made Nov 19 at 2015 4:21 PM

SSG Todd Halverson — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 16:21:20 -0500

Heard it all before over the years from various VA Secretaries.....

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 19 at 2015 7:23 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 19:23:57 -0500

Let me check the Magic 8 ball........

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 20 at 2015 12:21 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 12:21:21 -0500

not really myself and 3 other vets in my substance abuse session were recently deprived of our benefits for overpayment not because we didnt do the right thing but because they waited to long and we suffered. to be honest my first reaction of the VA came from the film Born On 4th of July, I've been dealing with my VA center and have recieved only the best of care of course once they reliezed that my PTSD was more than rated

Response by SPC David S. made Nov 20 at 2015 12:52 PM

SPC David S. — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 12:52:02 -0500

My Uncle has been going to the VA here in Chicago and is surprisingly pleased with the speed of care. However my uncle never complains about anything. I hope there is a plan other than espousing corporate buzzwords. In that context, it need not refer to a substantial or significant transformation, but can indicate a far less impressive change.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Nov 20 at 2015 2:53 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 14:53:10 -0500

His words are cheap. We will see more VA fiascos brought to light.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Nov 25 at 2015 9:30 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 21:30:58 -0500

Did he mean good changes or bad?

Response by PO1 Glenn Boucher made Dec 3 at 2015 4:39 PM

PO1 Glenn Boucher — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 16:39:26 -0500

I think that in all honesty that Secretary McDonald wants a positive change at the VA and that he is encountering Washington politics like never before.
I think some things have gotten better because I hear on here and other places from veterans how some things are getting better.
We all know its not an overnight change that can be accomplished, as much as we wish it were.
At least Secretary McDonald has been more vocal and visible than any other VA Secretary in recent memory, so I say lets give him his chance, even though we will beat him up occasionally when we're frustrated with what's going on. I just hope he gets the authority to clean up all those scumbag losers who are not doing their jobs at the VA by terminating them without any separation or retirement package since they didn't do their jobs.

Response by PFC David Ryba made Dec 4 at 2015 9:43 AM

PFC David Ryba — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 09:43:40 -0500

Funny thing about how the VA operates. It seems to be a regional thing. In some areas of the country VA facilities seem to be plagued with problems. In other areas the service is great. I have nothing to complain about the Milwaukee VA Medical Center. Guess I'm lucky I'm in a good spot.

Response by MSgt Curtis Ellis made Dec 4 at 2015 11:10 AM

MSgt Curtis Ellis — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 11:10:21 -0500

No, I do not agree on a "predicted sea of changes" as long as those (known) who are destroying the system from the inside are allowed to remain functioning within the system along with failures to "adequately" discipline same supervisors, and those supervisors who retaliate against whistle-blowers. And this is the minimal end of it as I haven't even gotten to the Veterans issues yet... Don't misunderstand, there have been significant changes across the board for our Veterans as it pertains to the VA, but I believe the VA Secretary's "touting predictions" at this point are far too early with so many other things still wrong with and within the system. Let's just wait and see what these new directors/leadership teams in 90% of VA medical centers are going to actually do for us first, and maybe, just maybe, we might be able to forget about those "disciplined ones" who are still on the VA payroll... Nah... Just kidding... We will NEVER forget about them...

Response by LCpl Ash Carson made Dec 4 at 2015 11:14 AM

LCpl Ash Carson — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 11:14:47 -0500

I do hope changes they do will help the veterans for the better.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Dec 4 at 2015 4:13 PM

Capt Seid Waddell — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 16:13:37 -0500

Nice thought.

Response by SFC Andre Milhouse made Apr 10 at 2019 12:28 PM

SFC Andre Milhouse — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 12:28:52 -0400

Agree