Va Support Contacts?

[OhioDonn]

I am looking for somebody of authority to register my concerns about the deminishing care that the Dayton Ohio VA Hospital is experiencing. As an example I went to the Urgent Care on Monday morning at 845 a.m. for a back injury. I signed in and waited until 12:30 p.m. before I finally gave up and left. I was told that it would be a couple more hours. I am diabetic and needed to eat. I returned on Wednesday this time at 7:45 a.m. and even though there was not near the crowd there was only one doctor treating patients and it took until 9:30 to get in to see a physician.

In the last few months everyone is complaining. The nurses say they don't have enough help to process patients, doctors are complaining that they are often taken off duties to be assigned into other areas and patients, like me are complaining that service is getting worse and worse.

I am looking for a politician to contact who can explain to me why the President keeps telling the American public how proud he is of the service people doing their duty and yet continues to cut available services.

[Pete53]

The VA is broke. The politicians know it.

[Berta]

I suggest you write or email your Congresspersons and state Senators-

they are easily reached on line. Hillary Clinton emailed me back personally-on a vet's matter I had.

and my own Congressional offices here have been very instrumental in helping my husband in the past -regarding VA care-

like calling the VAMC director when he was refused admission-that changed in less than 20 minutes after my Congressman's call to the Bath VAMC director.

Also I suggest that you write to the Committee on Veterans Affairs and also to the VA Inspector General-

ALL of the above have web sites and email and snail mail addys and phone numbers.

Emails are good but hard copy letters are often better.Especially to the IG.

I learned where all the pay phones were at our local VAMC and kept my Congressman's phone number in my purse. Last time I only needed to threaten a doctor I would call him and this is how my husband got

an MRI and new diagnosis- and was transported to a better VAMC.

They jump when pushed.

Check out the IG web site too:

this VAMC might have already been or is process of- being investigated.

Check out # 51 - at the bottom of their home page-http://www.va.gov/oig/

and also their press releases.

It is pretty revealing- then again many of us already know all about the dark side of VA care.

[Berta]

PS here's a start:

http://www.va.gov/oig/cap/VAOIG-04-01822-45.pdf

Dayton - Dec 2004 -Investigative report-

there is probably more at the IG site there on Dayton too-

[Josh]

Ohio Donn you wrote;

As an example I went to the Urgent Care on Monday morning at 845 a.m. for a back injury. I signed in and waited until 12:30 p.m. before I finally gave up and left.

Just out of curiosity, if it was so urgent, why did you leave?

I agree with you that the "care" is poor .. The last time I went to the ER I got there about 11:45 AM but was not seen until 1:00 am the next morning.. That was outrageous.. In the mean time the ER Staff switched..