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UPDATED - VAMC Martinsburg WV in Complete and Total Disarray

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VAMC Martinsburg WV in Complete and Total Disarray - Updated

 

Let’s begin at the entrance. There is never a guard at the entrance checkpoint and there hasn’t been one in years. With anyone able to come and go as they please there is significant drug dealing being done at the facility. You constantly have inpatients who are supposed to be restricted to post testing positive for illegal narcotics. There have been patients living on post in transitional housing overdosing. Numerous employees who work at the facility have been arrested for possession and distribution charges.

 

Inpatients who are following the rules can’t get all the help they need. You can ask any inpatient if they have seen a psychiatrist and they will tell you they have been trying to see one since they arrived for treatment. Many complete the program or programs they are there for without ever seeing a psychiatrist. Some of those patients have moved on and into housing on base only to commit suicide. How is this possible?

 

The VA will claim that they have 12 psychiatrists. Actually there were 7 psychiatrists and there will soon only be 3. The other 4 have left or tendered their resignation. Being accused of being drunk or on drugs would make me want to leave as well. The Dr accused was tested on the spot and the results were negative. Terry Stotler  took false information from a veteran and solicited more information from other vets in his inpatient program to force out another doctor. A doctor running a program that he does not agree with. Although all these statements are outright lies Stotler got his wish. The doctor in question has tendered her resignation as well. Why so few psychiatrists?

 

Head of the hospital, Jonathan Fierer, and Head of mental health, Mark Mann, worked out some kind of deal to divert funds from hiring psychiatrists. There is a brand new PET scan machine in the hospital. A machine that VAMC Martinsburg doesn’t really have a need for. It is only used 5 or 6 times a year. The patients diagnosed with this machine are not treated at Martinsburg. They are sent to specialists at Baltimore or Washington DC where they are given another PET scan for confirmation. It seems as if the PET scan in Martinsburg is essentially useless and not needed. Is it a bragging right for Fierer?

 

The 6 million dollar renovation of the 6th floor is another bragging right for Fierer. Perspective employees who have built hospitals at other locations and interviewed at Martinsburg have said that the renovation is way too nice for a hospital and that money should have gone to the hospital for staff and or supplies.

 

Is Fierer responsible or liable for the suicide deaths of veterans here?

 

Outpatients aren’t fairing any better. From social worker Monique Smith lying to patients. As the head consult  for patients applying to Caregivers she is responsible for moving the process along. Telling veterans that the application process is happening while never sending the consult over to caregivers at all. She has done this to numerous veterans. Ngozi Efobi, head of physical medicine, will routinely deny consults without any reason at all. Patients who need PT or OT and their surgeons have sent over the consult yet she still rejects the consult without any reason. Her license to practice is currently under review because of complaints. James Battin, previous head of primary care, will call the police on patients when they ask too many questions because he doesn’t want to answer or is bored with the appointment. He will also put outright lies into medical records. His license to practice is currently under review as well.

 

Now when patients have an issue and look for help, they can no longer find anyone to help them. Patient advocates were supposed to help the veterans. But when their job was threatened for advocating for a patient the advocate would stop all together. Now that their title has been change to veteran experience officer they don’t even have to try.

 

The privacy office is releasing medical records without patient’s consent.  When questioned, Alice Torres will give you the runaround. When asked for a copy of exactly what was released she will make you fill out your own release of information and told the office has 20 days to respond. All this is done to buy the office time because they don’t know exactly what they released.

 

Despite being a government facility religion is forced on inpatients in the programs offered there. Terry Stotler, head of the CAT5 program believes it is mandatory and ensures all groups in his program are started with god at the beginning of each and every group. He allows those under him to take it further by ensuring spiritual assessments are done by the patients. Allowing patient therapists like Jim Lockhart to ask openly atheist patients how they would say the serenity prayer.

Our veterans deserve better and something needs to be done to rectify these issues at the VAMC Martinsburg. So even doctors who work there will start to believe it is a safe environment. Currently many doctors and employees at this hospital believe it is an unsafe environment for patients and staff.

 

This is only a small portion of the problems here. Someone please step in and help our veterans.

Edited by Hurt Vet
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