What is your take on the Veterans Affairs (VA)?

SN Ryan Bertalotto — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 13:34:33 -0500

Pros and Cons of the VA

Response by CMC Robert Young made Mar 4 at 2014 1:45 PM

CMC Robert Young — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 13:45:31 -0500

Slow to respond; disorganized; and understaffed by a people who may or may not have the needed skills to do the job.

But it's all we have.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Mar 4 at 2014 2:33 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 14:33:05 -0500

Any organization, given sufficient growth, will eventually overburden itself with red tape, politics, and bureaucracy...

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 22 at 2014 6:42 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 22 May 2014 18:42:15 -0400

There are politics being played and ironic since they made so much over Walter Reed and it's problems.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made May 23 at 2014 9:32 AM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Fri, 23 May 2014 09:32:15 -0400

So far as I can tell from reading about it, these issues have been there for decades... It's seems systemic, not new.

Response by COL Dan O'Rourke made May 23 at 2014 11:20 AM

COL Dan O'Rourke — Fri, 23 May 2014 11:20:59 -0400

The VA is not a hospital, it is a jobs program. If congress were concerned about the care of veterans they would privatize the whole damn thing and let competent privately run hospitals that are actually responsible to someone handle it. For that matter do the same with the commissaries, on post hospitals, px, retirement system, etc. the government just is not capable of running things competently.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made May 23 at 2014 11:21 AM

CPT Jack Durish — Fri, 23 May 2014 11:21:28 -0400

Do you want to know what healthcare under Obamacare is going to look like in the future? Look at the VA system. This is just the way bureaucracies do things. I have to agree with conservative commentator Bill Whittle on PJTV.com and Col Greg Raths, USMC ret, running for Congress, (GregRaths.com) who both coincidentally said that our veterans would receive the healthcare they were promised and deserve only if we closed down the VA bureaucracy and gave each veteran the same healthcare card that our Representatives and Senators in Congress carry. It would probably save money too.

Response by MSG Sean Milhauser made May 23 at 2014 12:32 PM

MSG Sean Milhauser — Fri, 23 May 2014 12:32:31 -0400

I agree with others who have stated these issues are very broad and systemic. There are a fair amount of people whom have has good experiences with the VA. The issue that sickens me and makes me mad are these secrets lists that certain VA hospitals created in order to "game the system" on wait times, case load, etc. and the fact that our VETERANS are dying waiting for care.

The VA is a microcosm of most all other massive bureaucracies: very slow and/or resistant to change, the changes, if they are implemented, take years and billions of $$$ to implement, and if the job is actually ever finished, there is usually no measurement in determining if those changes actually achieved the intended goals.

A friend of mine who was a very smart IT guy was part of a contract to modernize some of the VA systems. He stated (no exaggeration here) that many records of Korean and Vietnam war vets were (and may still be) maintained on computers with VACUUM TUBES. This was only as of about 2 or 3 years ago. At that time the computer had to be maintained by a very small, aging (obviously) group of folks who had been trained to maintain this system probably at least 40 years ago!

I don't know if that data and records were ever transferred to a more modern system, because he left the company while they were still working on the contract I believe. But to hear in 2011 that veterans' records were still being maintained on a system with VACUUM TUBES to me was unimaginable.

But that is an example of my larger point, which is that most massive bureaucracies seldom, if ever, do anything efficiently, cheaply, or quickly.

Response by SSG Jeffrey Spencer made May 23 at 2014 2:55 PM

SSG Jeffrey Spencer — Fri, 23 May 2014 14:55:49 -0400

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg-_gDmKg5M&feature=youtu.be

Fox & Friends | What real vets are saying about the VA

We've heard everyone's opinion on the VA scandal - but what about the opinions of the actual vets who are getting care at these hospitals? Pete Hegseth trave...

Response by SSG Mike Angelo made May 25 at 2014 1:48 AM

SSG Mike Angelo — Sun, 25 May 2014 01:48:05 -0400

there is a disconnect between supervisor and follower from the top down...IMO. Maximum ratio between supervisor and followers should be 1 to 3 and no more than 5 to 7 followers/subordinates to 1 supervisor. This is from the Executive Director down to first line supervisors. Not Managers...there is a difference in management and leadership styles in silo organizations like the VA.

Shineski did the right thing by dismissing people in his line of sight so he can observe ...this span of control between supervisors and followers.

Response by SGT Donald Croswhite made May 26 at 2014 5:43 AM

SGT Donald Croswhite — Mon, 26 May 2014 05:43:47 -0400

The VA is run by a giant out of touch bureaucracy. It's not as much of denying, it's out-of-touch. It's like building a sand castle with a bulldozer. Why is anyone really surprised when the VA is ran with the same infrastructure as the DMV or USPS? They have a captive audience with no accountability. They have no incentive to improve beyond not wanting to be on the evening news.

Response by SGT Alfred Cox made May 28 at 2014 1:21 AM

SGT Alfred Cox — Wed, 28 May 2014 01:21:38 -0400

I got 90%...so far I'm satisfied.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made May 29 at 2014 7:21 AM

Capt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 29 May 2014 07:21:18 -0400

The VA really needs to be addressed. A good buddy of mine who was shot in the face point blank in Fallujah is being denied his needed health care right now, and they are not giving him a reason.

http://www.wthr.com/story/25637050/2014/05/29/indiana-veteran-denied-money-for-medical-care

Indiana veteran denied money for medical care

An Indiana Marine, twice wounded in battle, said the VA in Indianapolis denied him the money to pay for treatment.

Response by Sgt Randy Hill made May 30 at 2014 12:59 PM

Sgt Randy Hill — Fri, 30 May 2014 12:59:21 -0400

Great question. I think it depends on where you go for medical care. My VA in White River Junction Vt is excellent at everything except the sleep study that I have repeatedly asked for and have not received.

Response by Cpl Christopher Allen-Shinn made May 30 at 2014 1:06 PM

Cpl Christopher Allen-Shinn — Fri, 30 May 2014 13:06:19 -0400

I've had to fight hard for the three disability ratings that I've been awarded, and I still have pending appeals, so I'm a little bit frustrated with the claims process, like most veterans I've spoken to about it.

Regarding the medical care, I've been served at three different VA Medical Centers (two in VA & one in NY) since 2005. I've found the doctors & nurses to be reasonably good when one can see them. However, scheduling appointments (or being seen for unexpected medical issues) has often been another serious frustration, so I'm not at all surprised by the present VA scandal.

Response by SSG Mike Angelo made Jun 14 at 2014 2:51 PM

SSG Mike Angelo — Sat, 14 Jun 2014 14:51:15 -0400

I have not used the VA system since 2008 here in Minneapolis. My experience with the MN VA system is awesome. I am getting ready to use the system again in the near future.

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 21 at 2014 11:23 AM

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 21 Sep 2014 11:23:26 -0400

I have been a patient with the V.A. since the mid 1990's, and it keeps getting worse. I am my own advocate when it comes to my medical care, and I preach it to all I meet. I am researching civ. docs, and holistic medicine.

Response by Sharon Lee made Oct 20 at 2017 2:36 AM

Sharon Lee — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 02:36:05 -0400

The VA is horrible!! You can't get any information from them and when you do, it's a number to another person who can't give you a straight answer, or who will just refer you back to the previous person. They don't partner with you at all in your community services for veterans, nor do they share information. Absolutely horrible!!

Response by Sharon Lee made Oct 20 at 2017 2:39 AM

Sharon Lee — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 02:39:01 -0400

But it needs to change...