VA Town Hall Events at every VA Facility, will you attend one??

MCPO Michael Korman — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 22:34:14 -0400

From the VA:

Secretary McDonald Announces Town Hall Events at Veterans’ Facilities Nationwide

August 5, 2014

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald has directed all Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare and benefits facilities to hold town-hall events by the end of September to improve communication with, and hear directly from, Veterans nationwide.

“Caring for Veterans is a calling, and our first commitment is to provide Veterans and their families the timely, quality care and benefits they have earned and deserve through their service to our Nation,” said Secretary McDonald. “As we seek continual improvement and to rebuild trust among Veterans, it is critical that we continue to listen and learn directly from those who use our system.”

Secretary McDonald has informed the Under Secretaries of Health and Benefits that each VA medical center and regional office should hold at least one town-hall meeting with Veterans between now and the end of September. Meetings are designed to allow feedback from Veterans, family members and other beneficiaries. Each facility will also welcome input from Congressional stakeholders, Veteran Service Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, and other community partners. Details of events in each location will be forthcoming from local facilities.

# # #

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 7 at 2014 8:10 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 07 Aug 2014 08:10:48 -0400

If you are part of the solution,you are likely part of the problem. Will it be enough? No. Either way, we should throw our collective backs into becoming the change we seek.

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made Aug 7 at 2014 9:16 AM

MSG Wade Huffman — Thu, 07 Aug 2014 09:16:01 -0400

While I didn't vote on the survey as none of the choice are in line with my reasoning, I will be attending at lest one of these primarily due to my current job as a County Veterans Service Officer.
As stated by LTC Private RallyPoint Member , let's be part of the solution!
i just hope they are productive meetings... and I'm sure you all know where I'm coming from with that comment.

Response by SSG Robin Rushlo made Aug 7 at 2014 9:19 AM

SSG Robin Rushlo — Thu, 07 Aug 2014 09:19:52 -0400

I have been to three of them and two by my congress people and nothing ever get done and if you tell the truth they shut you down and in my case was asked to leave after leaving a document with 350 signatures of VETS and the story of each how the VA was not helping them,

They really do not want to hear the truth.

It only tool them 4 years and three hospital trips for falling to say YES YOU ARE BLIND.

Response by SSG Jim Handy made Aug 7 at 2014 2:51 PM

SSG Jim Handy — Thu, 07 Aug 2014 14:51:55 -0400

The people at the top can say all they want. If the "change in attitude" doesn't filter down to the people who are actually working the claims nothing will change. The top people go in front of congress and say "yes we realize we have problems and we are going to fix them" but when you talk to the people who are actually working the claims their attitude is "we have done nothing wrong, we see no need to change our procedures or attitude. We are right and we have always been right."

Response by SSG Jim Handy made Aug 9 at 2014 9:36 PM

SSG Jim Handy — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 21:36:18 -0400

Who is publishing the dates and times for these town halls?

Response by SGT Patrcia Palmer made Aug 14 at 2014 12:28 AM

SGT Patrcia Palmer — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 00:28:17 -0400

I think that although the VA is at fault for what is going on I also think that we as Veterans do little to help the situatiion. My reasoning is this if I go to the VA to get an appointment to see a doctor and we waited for awhile and never receive a call I should not just wait for them to call, instead i would call to see whats taking so long instead of tell my friend that I have been waiting for a month or so for an appointment. As Veteran we do not share information among ourselves because I might know something that will help another Veteran to get his benefits or get an appointment. We have to do our part instead of giving up on the system that was set up to help us. Although I am a regular at the VA clinic I too have seen doctors that do not seems to care about veterans. I had one doctor at the VA hospital told me that if I had a brain trumor I would have know because I would be dead. I was trying to figure out how would I have know if I was dead. I have another doctor that said that bad sleeping habits do not require a sleep study but in the same breath order sleeping pills for me that make me sleep for 13 hours. Needless to say I did not take any more of the pills and asked to be transfer to another clinic.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Jul 22 at 2015 9:13 PM

SSgt Alex Robinson — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 21:13:06 -0400

We deserve better from the VA! Time to clean house and start over!