jcolwell

I thought I was out of the VA business for a while but have decided to help a veteran friend. He is 70 and has already had a total knee and total hip completed in last 5 years not at VA . He can walk but kinda like a duck and is in pain. Never filed claims . As best I know today he is a Jumper, Paratrooper in Army for 4 years and had over 500 jumps in the Philippines/Dominican republic ?? Thus far I have directed him to : .Get his VA c- File .Get all Ortho records for Hip and Knee surgery's etc. done at hospital in Phoenix .Obtain all medical records from primary care, Ortho surgeons .Order Military file from St Louis MO with all his medical records/and personnel file .He is a pack rat so he has a box of military service records at home along with pictures from military and hangs out with old buddies that also were jumpers at the American legions. Once I get that reviewed ( I am old Ortho RN ) etc then I will direct him on completing 2 DBQ for his knee and hip. That is about all I have at this point to share. I will be connecting him to a VSO as well. If there are any other suggestions I would appreciate some feedback to help him. Any web sites out there for army Paratroopers is what I think he calls what he did with a large pack on his left hip or something that we think led to his total hip. It it too late for him to file a claim ? He is 0 % connected already for Hearing loss due to some guns going off etc. non compliant with hearing aide use. Thanks as always Patsy Colwell

Last year had a C and P for depression and physician said it was from my childhood situations. Denial. Last month my wife demanded I go see a Psychiatrist about my depression again and he put me on meds and said it was due to the 5 diseases I have as a result of herbicide exposure in Thailand and said my depression should be service connected. That is just one example but the quality of care of the providers is not up to my standards. I still say ,. send all vets to community hospital and shut the VA hospitals and maintain a few low need clinics........and use private physicians who will gladly take the $$ being wasted . JC wife

News reporting that New Interim CEO named for Phoenix VA Steve Young. My dental appointment is in 30 days, the are saying they should be giving appointment within 14 days of vet request. Think I might call on Monday. Husband said not to do that as we would upset them and make them mad. Why oh Why do vets feel they have to cow down to people who are there to serve them and no vets no jobs......GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR JC 100 % P and T

If you want to follow the VA hospital news out of Phoenix they are coming it off and on all day and talking to vets.... http://www.kpho.com/news

Good for you. I personally as a woman call it " assuming the Bitch Role" sometimes you just have to do it .........JC

Legion Wants Shinseki, Others Out at VA Military.comMay 05, 2014 | by Bryant Jordan The American Legion is calling for the resignation of Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and two other senior VA officials amid growing reports that some VA medical centers have manipulated data to hide a backlog of patients seeking care. At the VA hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, 40 veterans reportedly died waiting to be seen by a doctor. "As national commander of the nation's largest veterans' service organization, it is with great sadness that I call for the resignations of Secretary Shinseki, Under Secretary of Health Robert Petzel and Under Secretary of Benefits Allison Hickey," Legion National Commander Daniel Dellinger said in a statement broadcast online Monday from the group's Indianapolis headquarters. "Patient deaths are tragic, and preventable patient deaths are unacceptable. But the failure to disclose safety information, or worse, to cover up mistakes, is unforgivable, as is fostering a culture of nondisclosure," he said. In his strongly worded announcement, Dellinger laid at the feet of Shinseki, Petzel and Hickey preventable deaths of veterans, long wait times for medical care, the disability claims backlog of nearly 600,000, and a system that has allowed senior managers to collect thousands of dollars in performance bonuses. "There needs to be a change, and that change needs to occur at the top," Dellinger said. The Legion's call for the resignations of Shinseki, Petzel and Hickey represents the toughest words yet from the county's top veterans' service organizations. Both the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Disabled American Veterans have hit the VA in recent weeks over the revelations from the Phoenix hospital, demanding the leadership get its house in order. On Saturday, the Veterans of Foreign Wars offered a scathing rebuke of the VA over the Phoenix allegations and exhorted Shinseki to take steps to restore credibility to the VA system. The group called VA's failure to monitor or audit the appointment processes at the hospital "an appalling example of failed leadership." The VFW also demanded an end to "bonuses, fat paychecks and positions of those who would violate this most sacred trust." The DAV on April 24 issued its own statement on the Phoenix allegations, demanding that "if there is any evidence of wrongdoing or knowledgeable neglect, those responsible must be held to account." Spokesman Joe Chenelly told Military.com on Monday that a DAV official is scheduled to meet with Shinseki on Tuesday, and the organization will decide what to do based on that meeting. The Legion's announcement comes as the VA continues to be battered by claims that staff at some medical facilities has manipulated appointment dates to hide the fact veterans were waiting months to see a doctor. In Phoenix, 40 veterans are reported to have died while on a secret waiting list. CNN first reported last month that the Phoenix VA Medical Center kept a secret list of veterans seeking appointments. An official list, much shorter, enabled the hospital to show that it was getting patients in for appointments within 14 days, in keeping with VA performance standards. Up to 1,600 patients were waiting months, if not longer than a year, to be seen. CNN quoted retired VA doctor Sam Foote who told the news channel that up to 40 patients died while on the list. On Sunday, USA Today reported that clerical staff at the Fort Collins hospital was instructed last year how to falsify appointment records so it appeared doctors were seeing patients within the department's goal of 14 days. Staffers whose records revealed that a patient waited longer than 14 days were put on a "bad boys list," according to the paper, which based its report on a VA internal investigation. The investigation found that many of the 6,300 patients treated at the Fort Collins facility waited months to see a doctor. In 2012, a whistleblower who resigned from the Manchester, New Hampshire, Veterans Medical Center, told Congress that VA officials routinely conference on ways to get around performance standards. -- Bryant Jordan can be reach at bryant.jordan@monster.com

Agree with all. Today heard a good idea for VA on news. If you cant get an appointment within 15 days of a request you can go to a private local hospital and the VA will be required to pay. I bet that would get them off their AAAAAAAAAAA

Forget to mention they are now also after the VA in Nevada according to the news report.........JC

Breaking news on CBS out of Phoenix tonight states that S Hellman and her 2 side kicks are placed on adm. leave due to death of reported Veterans at VA and ongoing investigation. I was at Phx VA outpatient clinic today for some paper work at eligibility and I could not believe how nice and ass kissing the employees were...............they are usually rude etc..............gosh wish I could have met with the IOG that would be fun...............JC and RN

Live in Phoenix and agree. Better yet , keep the eye, ear, dental etc clinics and send all these veterans to the local physicians and hospitals for everything bigger than a bread basket. I am sure they would welcome the business and I think Vets would be so much more compliant with their care regiments. JC

Got it. Thanks everyone. First stop is dental next week. JC

They are on now in Phoenix and doing a great job addressing the issues with neglect and death of Veterans. Check it out it is really good and they covered it for 15 minutes. Very Pro Veterans. JC

Just rated P and T 100%. Do I still get my DM2 258.00 ( 20 % ) on top of the other. Thanks JC

Good for you. Feels good ...........

Well , Berta we did it . Logged in to E benefits this evening and there it was .............100% P and T with commissary letter etc. No money yet. They gave our monthly expected amount. It is correct. They said CUE was done Dec 1 2013 but left on a desk somewhere. My first task in am is to call and get my husband a dental appointment which is one of the most important things for him. The rest will come with time but right now I want him in that dental chair asap. Apparently Phoenix has a good dental program. It still does not feel real and I have not cried yet, husband is having a deserved Martini. We have a bottle of Champagne he bought 4 months ago and we will drink it tomorrow with the kids. We are fortunate we don't really need anything and have private insurance for him and his IHD etc. We have been blessed. I really want to thank all of you for having this website. All of you have always been gentle with helping us find our way in this mess. OUr CUE filed Oct 2013 and resolved 12/13 if anyone is wondering. OUr first ever filing was in 4/2011. Thanks everyone

Yep, that is the reason I never allow my family to go to a hospital and stay overnight without me sitting in the room. They don't like it but I march down to Administration and next thing I know I got a cot to sleep on and a private room. The public are not going to like what is coming............PC

I worked for VA in 1983 as a RN in the ICU and quit on the day they did a Bronchoscopy ( tube down into lungs ) on a vet 4 times in one day and allowed all the med students to take a peek while the guy was awake. I remember I cried that day and have never forgotten that experience . I resigned the next day. It is a culture issue in these places that allow this kind of cruel work to happen. Today I am more experienced and would never allow a patient to be abused in such a manner. I will always feel I let that man down that day. He later died. Not stupid any more........PC

Never filed anything with BVA ever.......... All this is coming out of RO in Phoenix. I spelled word wrong that the VSO used it should be " PROMULGATION AT THE PHOENIX RO, not DC " They are mailing him a copy of the approval from last year for 100 % P and T ( ha ha sure they are ). If we don't get that by Saturday then I will use your idea and go with the complaint. I have seen that on IRIS before. I wonder if they are waiting on the $$$ for the new fiscal year to begin in July ? Our VSO is ok but he is afraid of me cause he knows I can assume the bitch role at anytime and will do so on Saturday and yes it will be the tough bitch that shows up. They might not have time to respond to my Iris email here in Phoenix they are too busy dealing with the media and all the dead veterans and the secret list. Bet the RO also have a secret list as well. jc

This is criminal . The Concern for American Vets had a rally last week on this matter in Phoenix.The news on this matter should bring the JCAHO ( they license VA to see Medicare patients and get funds from Medicare) and DHS in AZ down on them for a intense visit as well. My husband is still waiting for a Podiatry appointment for 4 months . He does not have serious issues but I wanted him to get a baseline assessment and education for his DM2 before problems develop. with the feet. Still waiting. I think this kind of behavior extends to the RO as well. Delay , delay till they die and go away. Bet they have a secret list as well. JC

History of claim I filed a CUE after rating of 30 % for IHD presumptive for Thailand with AICD 10/2013. AICD was not rated in my claim. ( NOD from 2011). Claim should have been rated at 100%. DAV agrees it was rated incorrectly DAV and RO had me race to get a updated DBQ from my cardiologist last week which they got on Tuesday and it was hand carried to the supervisor of the DRO area by DAV. They said needed to hurry and get this addressed since claim had just closed it would be easy to " rework" it. That all sounded good to me at time but now it is dead silence from DAV and VA. Cue is posted on E Benefits to be resolved 7/2014. Todays update: : Thought I would provide an update on my CUE status that Berta and others helped me file in 2013.I started a new post since it has been 7 months since my last post. We have been given 2 verbal by VSO that claim is approved at 100% retro back to 8/2010. Today spouse went to see VSO again and he showed him the screen showing approval. He called DRO who approved claim back in 2013 and he cursed over he speaker phone that VSO needed to call Propagation ( SP?)guy and tell him to get off his ass and fund this thing. We already get 20 % for IHD but they are still not giving us any thing in writing and no $$$. I believe they are treating this like an appeal. I do all the work on my husband claim but refused to go to the RO anymore because I might slap or choke someone for the total lack of work ethic these people display. Today is our 3 year anniversary when we started this mess . I have great sympathy for those veterans with less expertise /resources to deal with these people. Patsy and Jim

Concerned veterans to rally for change at VA hospitals Posted: Apr 15, 2014 9:01 PM MST <em class="wnDate">Wednesday, April 16, 2014 12:01 AM EDT</em>Updated: Apr 15, 2014 9:15 PM MST <em class="wnDate">Wednesday, April 16, 2014 12:15 AM EDT</em> By Allyson Blair - bio | email PHOENIX (CBS5) - Members of Concerned Veterans for America are working to get the word out about a new bill that's going before Congress. MOREAdditional Links H.R. 4031 would allow the head of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to demote poorly performing managers, something they aren't currently able to do. "The first step to reform is to get rid of all the bad apples in VA," said the organization's Issues and Legislative Campaign Manager Daniel Caldwell. Hundreds are expected to gather at Steele Indian School Park at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday to rally for change. This comes after claims that dozens of veterans died because of the VA hospital's poor care or because some patients got no care at all. "They have the resources to take care of the veterans they're responsible for. They problem is they're not being allocated correctly within the VA, and you have VA managers who aren't doing their job," said Caldwell. Corp. Rebecca Knott served four and a half years in the U.S. Marine Corps. She was discharged in the late 80s after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. Knott beat the cancer once, but in 1994, it came back. "I was the one who found the lump," said Knott. She contacted the Phoenix VA to schedule an appointment. That's when her first battle with the hospital began. "The woman laughed at me and said,' I can't get you in for the next six months,'" said Knott. Because of Knott's history with Hodgkin's, her personal doctor managed to get her in for treatment. Once again, she overcome the disease. Then, in 2010 doctors found a tumor in her esophagus, a side-effect of the radiation. "At that point, they were saying it was between stage 3 and stage 4 cancer," said Knott. Knott said the surgeon at the VA seemed unsure about her treatment and eventually told her the tumor was inoperable. But a second opinion from Mayo Clinic contradicted the VA's diagnosis. Now Knott is once again in remission. "I kept saying, what happens to people who don't know to go and keep fighting with them or don't have other insurance? What they're doing to people is just wrong," said Knott. Copyright 2014 CBS 5 (KPHO Broadcasting Corporation). All rights reserved.

This is running daily on local TV in AZ. They are reporting 40 deaths due to " delay in treatment " and slow appointments. They are also reporting lack of physicians and Nurse practitioner to see patients as well as shortage in nursing as cause ?? JC Wilcox calls for investigation into VA hospitals Posted: Apr 11, 2014 9:04 AM MST <em class="wnDate">Friday, April 11, 2014 12:04 PM EDT</em>Updated: Apr 11, 2014 9:07 AM MST <em class="wnDate">Friday, April 11, 2014 12:07 PM EDT</em> By Jose Miguel - bio | email Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox. (Source: CBS 5 News) PHOENIX (CBS5) - Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox is calling for a Congressional investigation into allegations of misconduct within VA hospitals. MOREAdditional Links The House Veterans Affairs committee conducted an investigation into VA hospitals in three cities, including Phoenix, and found wait times in the hospitals to be unacceptable and in some cases being questioned as possible reasons for death. According to a news release from Wilcox, at least 22 veterans might have died in Phoenix alone. She is pleading for the help of both Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake to call for a Congressional hearing on the matter. Wilcox will have a news conference 11:30 a.m.. Friday at Grant Park in Phoenix to discuss her call for the investigation. Several local and military leaders are expected to attend. Stay with cbs5az.com and CBS 5 News as this story develops. Copyright 2014 CBS 5 (KPHO Broadcasting Corporation). All rights reserved.

Makes you sick to your stomach and nothing will be done to those who participated in this illegal activity. I saw the quick news on Fox this am. VA affairs need to go to private sector . Jim

I to have a CUE from 10-2013 for IHD with AICD . I am already SC for IHD . I received 2 calls from 2 different VSO at DAV in last month , who reports they were given a verbal but DRO supervisor that it will be approved, but is at Audit awaiting 3 signatures etc. due to amount. Just seems should not take this long. But I do like diet coke. Thanks patsy and Jim

He is such a tight wad I will have to pull a dime out of him. We have always been fortunate with our careers and pretty conservative so will just gets some burgers and watch the news. He is so funny , he kept asking me " did you email Berta to let her know about my claim ".. I have to keep an eye on you and him. Take care. Patsy