Not Sure If This Is The Right Place

[tssnave]

Stepphenwolf,

I believe the VA should take care of the "small" things because it would get them in the mindset of providing excellent service in all things.

To quote the greatest man who ever walked the earth and cared about all humanity:

He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Luke 16:10 (NKJ)

My prayer is that the VA would change its corporate identity to no longer tolerates poor processes in the "little" things as well as the "large".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JskyTX - How is your husband's recuperation going?

Thanks,

TS Snave

[Commander Bob]

VAMC's are affiliated with medical schools. This is a great place for young students and MD's to learn how to be doctors. A lot of Veterans funds go into research and teaching. The civilians benefit from lessons learned at VA hospitals. Like the elephant in the room, we never talk about it. I'm glad to hear the success stories about medication savings and the occasional good caregiver story. The reality is some where in between. Overall, I am not impressed with the VA. I would take a cash settlement and say good by and good luck to the socialized medicine model we call the VAMC.

[SLEDGE]

Dallas VAMC is still trying to recruit my daughter by offering a lot more money.

I guess the director of the VAMC doesn't know what 'shove it' means.

sledge

[Steppenwolf]

Stepphenwolf,

I believe the VA should take care of the "small" things because it would get them in the mindset of providing excellent service in all things.

To quote the greatest man who ever walked the earth and cared about all humanity:

He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Luke 16:10 (NKJ)

My prayer is that the VA would change its corporate identity to no longer tolerates poor processes in the "little" things as well as the "large".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JskyTX - How is your husband's recuperation going?

Thanks,

TS Snave

Maybe this topic could morph into one that also has a poll to see how many vets have thumbs up or thumbs down about their experiences with VAMC's everywhere? One thing i am finding out is that they are clearly unique in their services including their dysfuntionality.

And yes, if they took care of the little things then it would make a difference. That said here at the Durham VA the pharmacy phone and indeed the whole phone system is so screwed up that the automated refill phone number ( a toll free number ) will not accept calls from area codes other than NC. If you can not access the automated toll free number i was told that i needed to call the pharmacy and order there. But if you call pharmacy and are placed on hold only to listen to this sic message about how important i and my message are for 13 minutes ( yes 13 and you can't get to this option without waiting the full 13 minutes ) Then you are told to leave your name, last 4 and phone number and we'll call you back. Now i know from other VA's that that option is a good option because the call back comes fairly quickly. But here at the Durham VA there is no telling when the call will come back. It could be today or tomorrow, usually with-in two days but if the calls come in and you're not there they leave a message to call back to the pharmacy which brings you back to the same wait and same message for 13 minutes. At one point it took 12 days before i finally hooked up with a pharmacy person who said she would order everything that was do. Not only did i get meds that i never heard of from doctors that i never saw, i didn't get the medication i needed two weeks ago.

Calls to the PA were more of the same: leave your name and number and we'll get back with you. More often than not they do not call back or if they do once again it is a phone message that they called.

Of course i can drive to the VA. It is 43 or so miles but usually takes me between and 75 and 90 mins. If it's trafic hour in either direction it can take 2.5 hours.

Well that's what i had to do because i was on another twilight zone of calls. i went to the PA first who told me i complain too much and needed to be more proactive in my own health care. ( How i'm not in jail now took great control because i wanted to pop the AH for not realizing that this was a problem ) He was especially pissed off when i told him that other VA's did not have this problem. Of course he dismissed that with: " Forget about other VA's you're here now and this is the best we can do...THE SYSTEM IS BIG" i kept saying : "Why is there not a local number that is automated?" He kept saying: "Because there just isn't"

So i walked down to pharmacy to order the medication that wasn't in my package then asked to speak with the head of pharmacy. i was told to walk down to the last door and knock. The door opens and i ask to speak to the person in charge. He said that he was that person. Told him the whole story. He too says: "The system is large". i don't let it die, i keep asking about an extension or a number that i can call since i don't have a local phone number and finally he give me a number. He wrote it on the Pharmacy flier with everything that you needed to know abut the Durham Pharmacy. Again: HE WROTE IT ON A PRINTED FLIER> It was the same area code but a different prefix. "Why haven't i been told or given this number before?" "The system is large" i try the number from my cell and sure enough it works. i'm happy and leave.

The first time i use the number it works until i get to one RX and am told that that RX and the SS does not match. So i spend another 5 days trying to get to someone to tell me why this is so.

i have to drive there again and this time i insist on speaking with the director. Told i can't do that that he is behind a locked door which you need a badge to get into. Undaunted i go to the doors and just stand there waiting. Finally someone comes out. i tell her what's been going on. She doesn't believe it. i tell her about the magic phone number. She said there is no magic number. i take her down to the guy who gave it to me. She spends an hour with me and when she finds out about the number she asks him why it's not known. He tells her that the system is large.

Now i really don't think going on and on about the details and minutia serves any other perpose except to show how insane this whole system is. The PA's didn't know about the number, the directors secretary didn't know about the number, most pharmacy people didn't know about the number but because the system is large no one sends out a memo or as i told the guy who gave it to me: "Take 50 fliers and write it in until the fliers are changed" "The system is large" However he did tell the directors secretary that an effort was being made.

But now thing have gotten worse for me. Suddenly my address changed to Florida where i once was, the phone number has been changed to my parents house, and my meds are going to FL also.

Bottom line: my life is in danger because of this VA's inability to address the little things and in fact turning little ones into big ones.

This little shop of horrors needs to be exposed for what they are and what they are not.

The good things they may do do not off set the bad Period!

[Pete53]

Most of the pharmacists in Dallas do not speak English as their first language. They are polite but nothing ever seems to change and if it does not for long.

[Commander Bob]

Maybe this topic could morph into one that also has a poll to see how many vets have thumbs up or thumbs down about their experiences with VAMC's everywhere? One thing i am finding out is that they are clearly unique in their services including their dysfuntionality.

Different details, same story 40years ago, but without the automation. VAMC is a great place for the NSC. It's more of a slap in the face for the SC & combat wounded.