This time, in Colorado.
A VA investigation of one of its outpatient clinics in Colorado reveals how ingrained delays in medical care may be for an agency struggling to rapidly treat nearly 9 million veterans a year amid allegations that dozens have died because of delays.
Clerks at the Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Fort Collins were instructed last year how to falsify appointment records so it appeared the small staff of doctors was seeing patients within the agency’s goal of 14 days, according to the investigation.
The VA decided to implement ‘retraining and weekly audits’ in response, despite the fact that the exact same thing happened in Arizona – and despite the fact that several deaths may be linked to the delay in services. Which makes me wonder how many other states are having similar cover-ups. As well as make me wonder what Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki thinks about the entire situation.
Wait. No, I can probably guess that one already. After all, he hasn’t resigned yet.
Moe Lane (crosspost)
PS: As I was writing this, I was made aware that the American Legion is currently going ballistic on this issue: Dying In Line. And they want Shinseki out, too.
Of course the American Legion is going ballistic. It’s not like we have a government agency that is actually designed to help veterans these days.
.
(Who me? Cyincal and dismissive of the VA? *click whirr* Maybe)
Pournelle’s Iron Law.
Agreed. We need to find a solution that ends that problem in a very bloody and final manner.
Bernie Sanders is the Senate VA Committee Chair, and despite all of these incidents, he still thinks socialized medicine should be applied on a National scale.
He should resign from his chairmanship too, his oversight has been lax of late.
Sanders, being the Senate’s openly practicing communist (ok, “socialist”), likely approves of it. It’s not like the victims are Inner Party Members, after all.
This administration views veterans with fear and loathing. I have to wonder if this isn’t a deliberate policy.