Jump to content

Ask Your VA Claims Questions | Read Current Posts 
Read VA Disability Claims Articles
Search | View All Forums | Donate | Blogs | New Users | Rules 

  • tbirds-va-claims-struggle (1).png

  • 01-2024-stay-online-donate-banner.png

     

Va Med Center Chain Of Command

Rate this topic


Recommended Posts

So I am about to go up the VA medical center "chain of command" and I've learned from many posts that this is common...

What is the typical chain of command at a VA medical center (above the Patient Advocate)? I dislike complaining but am not averse to it where treatment and people become inaccessible. There must be a ton of people in between the Pat Adv and the Director.... I'm sure its like the military - if you go right to the base commander with an issue, you not only make the problem worse, you piss off a bunch of people in between him and yourself in a big hurry.

Thanks! :biggrin:

Dante

Audentes Fortuna Juvat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 9
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • HadIt.com Elder

I think I would write a letter to the Director of Medical Services. Ask them if you need to go to your local newschannel or newspaper to get help. The VAMC is really a group of institutions inside a single building. I never knew a pharmacy could overrule a doctor's orders until I tried to get my pain prescription filled recently. Then I found out the DEA could overrule every doctor and pharmacist in the VA. Go to the top. If you piss people at the top off it creates heat for those below. That is good. They are all worms.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HadIt.com Elder

Top dog is the Director.

Next in line is the chief of staff.

The next one is the Associate director of Patient care services.

Department heads

Department Managers.

Other Managers.

Work leaders

Nurses

Janitor.

Some VA's have assistant Directors so they would slide in at number 2.

A Veteran is a person who served this country. Treat them with respect.

A Disabled Veteran is a person who served this country and bears the scars of that service regardless of when or where they served.

Treat them with the upmost respect. I do. Rejection is not a sign of failure. Failure is not an option, Medical opinions and evidence wins claims. Trust in others is a virtue but you take the T out of Trust and you are left with Rust so be wise about who you are dealing with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

What agencies besides the OIG provide external oversight for VAMC's? I've seen the OIG put sheets up around the VA, they usually say something like "CONTACT US....HERE'S HOW". The one time I saw them, they were everywhere in the hospital. A few weeks later, when I returned, they were all gone. Problem is, I only saw those OIG contact info notices once and the OIG online form for submitting a comment or complaint is down.

Initially, a congressman or the OIG comes to mind. I am curious to see if the community here has tried anyone else with success in resolving an issue that stagnates at the patient advocate or director level for too long.

Thank you!

Audentes Fortuna Juvat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My guess would be your Congress-(man or woman)Person.. Its an educated guess based on some things I myself have had to endure at Baypines. If youve a Congess "person" thats on the Veterans Committee, all the better. Worse case scenario, the Congress persons "People" will tell you who it is thats the next in lin of command from the Director. Good Luck, Godspeed to resolution Brother! Sincerely, Mystic

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Tell a friend

    Love HadIt.com’s VA Disability Community Vets helping Vets since 1997? Tell a friend!
  • Recent Achievements

    • kidva earned a badge
      First Post
    • kidva earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Lebro earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • spazbototto earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Paul Gretza earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Our picks

    • These decisions have made a big impact on how VA disability claims are handled, giving veterans more chances to get benefits and clearing up important issues.

      Service Connection

      Frost v. Shulkin (2017)
      This case established that for secondary service connection claims, the primary service-connected disability does not need to be service-connected or diagnosed at the time the secondary condition is incurred 1. This allows veterans to potentially receive secondary service connection for conditions that developed before their primary condition was officially service-connected. 

      Saunders v. Wilkie (2018)
      The Federal Circuit ruled that pain alone, without an accompanying diagnosed condition, can constitute a disability for VA compensation purposes if it results in functional impairment 1. This overturned previous precedent that required an underlying pathology for pain to be considered a disability.

      Effective Dates

      Martinez v. McDonough (2023)
      This case dealt with the denial of an earlier effective date for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) 2. It addressed issues around the validity of appeal withdrawals and the consideration of cognitive impairment in such decisions.

      Rating Issues

      Continue Reading on HadIt.com
      • 0 replies
    • I met with a VSO today at my VA Hospital who was very knowledgeable and very helpful.  We decided I should submit a few new claims which we did.  He told me that he didn't need copies of my military records that showed my sick call notations related to any of the claims.  He said that the VA now has entire military medical record on file and would find the record(s) in their own file.  It seemed odd to me as my service dates back to  1981 and spans 34 years through my retirement in 2015.  It sure seemed to make more sense for me to give him copies of my military medical record pages that document the injuries as I'd already had them with me.  He didn't want my copies.  Anyone have any information on this.  Much thanks in advance.  
      • 4 replies
    • Caluza Triangle defines what is necessary for service connection
      Caluza Triangle – Caluza vs Brown defined what is necessary for service connection. See COVA– CALUZA V. BROWN–TOTAL RECALL

      This has to be MEDICALLY Documented in your records:

      Current Diagnosis.   (No diagnosis, no Service Connection.)

      In-Service Event or Aggravation.
      Nexus (link- cause and effect- connection) or Doctor’s Statement close to: “The Veteran’s (current diagnosis) is at least as likely due to x Event in military service”
      • 0 replies
    • Do the sct codes help or hurt my disability rating 
    • VA has gotten away with (mis) interpreting their  ambigious, , vague regulations, then enforcing them willy nilly never in Veterans favor.  

      They justify all this to congress by calling themselves a "pro claimant Veteran friendly organization" who grants the benefit of the doubt to Veterans.  

      This is not true, 

      Proof:  

          About 80-90 percent of Veterans are initially denied by VA, pushing us into a massive backlog of appeals, or worse, sending impoverished Veterans "to the homeless streets" because  when they cant work, they can not keep their home.  I was one of those Veterans who they denied for a bogus reason:  "Its been too long since military service".  This is bogus because its not one of the criteria for service connection, but simply made up by VA.  And, I was a homeless Vet, albeit a short time,  mostly due to the kindness of strangers and friends. 

          Hadit would not be necessary if, indeed, VA gave Veterans the benefit of the doubt, and processed our claims efficiently and paid us promptly.  The VA is broken. 

          A huge percentage (nearly 100 percent) of Veterans who do get 100 percent, do so only after lengthy appeals.  I have answered questions for thousands of Veterans, and can only name ONE person who got their benefits correct on the first Regional Office decision.  All of the rest of us pretty much had lengthy frustrating appeals, mostly having to appeal multiple multiple times like I did. 

          I wish I know how VA gets away with lying to congress about how "VA is a claimant friendly system, where the Veteran is given the benefit of the doubt".   Then how come so many Veterans are homeless, and how come 22 Veterans take their life each day?  Va likes to blame the Veterans, not their system.   
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Guidelines and Terms of Use