Death Of Veterans At Phoenix Va In The News

[jcolwell]

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.

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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.

[Navy04]

Doesn't surprise me, I contracted MRSA from Walter Reed and it dang near killed my Family and I.

[63SIERRA]

DONT use the bathrooms that are near the labs, with the little trap door where you put the urine. Urine is the biggest carrier of MRSA. They dont clean the bathrooms nearly frequently enough with all the sick people going in there to give a sample and touching everything.Nor do they use the proper agents. Go down to another bathroom, try not to touch anything. When your done, wash your hands good, and use a paper towel to open the door. Or use your foot, or wait for someone to come it, and catch the door with your foot. DO NOT TOUCH THE DOOR HANDLE...... WAYYYYY to many people dont wash thier hands after they have peed on them, and grab that door handle/ You can wash your hands until they are raw, but if u touch that door handle on the way out it doesnt do you no good. I contracted MRSA from the central texas VA, and know of several others that also have. Get in, get out, and try not to touch anything.

[63SIERRA]

Heres the type of people they have cleaning the bathrooms at the TEMPLE TEXAS VA . One day I had arrived and was trying to use the bathroom at the main entrance. I went around the corner to where the bathroom was and there was a female employee, with the cleaning cart it front of the mens bathroom, with a bathroom closed yellow plastic sign propped up. She was yelling into her cell phone, at someone on the other end of the line, and cursing saying that she didnt have no Finng address, she lives in her Finnng car. I believe she was arguing ith the SS administration. This tirade went on for abt 10 minutes, with people watching and shaking thier heads in disbelief. This person was clearly no concerned abt a clean bathroom, and didnt care if I pissed myself or passed out. She was too busy trying to get her check on. Its really scary the type of people the VA is entrusting to do such important jobs at there hospitals.

Also some of the phlebotomists at the VA are friggin scary looking, Theres REGGAE RASTA DUDE, THERES COCKEYED SERIAL KILLA LOOKING DUDE, THERES FAT ALBERT WHO GETS MAD AT YOU IF HE MISSES. just crazy!!!

Edited April 12, 2014 by 63SIERRA

[Berta]

This story is growing:

http://www.kpho.com/story/25228375/mccain-flake-call-for-hearings-on-possible-negelct-at-phx-va-hospital

A lack of timely and proper diagnosis and/or treatment was the main part of my FTCA/1151 case.

I sure hope the families of these veterans take action against the VA.

The news story above mentions a possible cover up and manipulated records.

When I mentioned here over the years that I discovered not only negligence and malpractice but also a deliberate VA cover up,in my dead husband's VA records, I knew that must have sounded pretty far fetched.

But I did prove it, down to the very day the cover up began.

It looks like that happened in the Phoenix situation as well.

FTCA laws require that that a veteran ( or their survivors) prove the veteran did not receive care comparable to the "standard medical community."

Meaning what would real doctors in real hospitals do in the same situations these vets were in.

A VA Peer Review doctor ,contacted by the regional counsel here in NY, agreed with a full medical rationale on my FTCA charges within months after I filed the case, in a 6 page SO Peer Review opinion. March 95.

The VA 'lost' the review and then said it had never occurred when the RC and the Dr. left the VA suddenly.

Both of them however confirmed to me that the review was done and faxed to the Buffalo RO.

That review and 12 copies of my husband's autopsy, also disappeared......the most critical evidence I had.

But I succeeded anyhow,without that Peer Review, and many years later I found it at the bottom of my C file.

Will VA cover up, manipulate, remove or hide evidence?

Of course they will if the stakes are high.

I sure hope the survivors of these vets have copies of their VA med recs that occurred prior to their deaths.

I think many, if not all of the survivors, in this case all might have a very valid FTCA basis.

[john999]

Berta Simmons........The VA's worst nightmare. Here is a tip about staff infections. Don't let doctors do in-office procedures. That is how I got a staff infection from a podiatrist. He did a very minor operation on my foot in the office with a local. I think I was infected almost immediately. The tiny wound never healed and I ended up in the hospital getting my foot cut open and dead tissue cut out of my foot. I filed a lawsuit but lost. I did not have MRSA. I almost lost my foot and had to get anti-biotic infusions every day for six weeks. Four years later my foot still hurts where the scar is on the bottom of my heal.

All hospitals, doctor's offices and any other medical facilities are dangerous places. If the doctor or hospital gives you a staff infection I think it is very hard to win a lawsuit. I sure should have won mine, but other podiatrists lined up behind the jerk to swear that it was "Act of God" and unavoidable bad luck on my part. Even the Pod my lawyer hired to review the record said No Case. I went to the doctor's office and went home with a staff infection but it was all just a random act of God.

John

[Berta]

John, I learned to become a real SOB when it comes to VA negligence. If I see potentials here of any type of FTCA or 1151 claim, I am quick to chime in,
but my advise is always the same...get an IMO to see if there really was negligence and then get a lawyer ,if filing under FTCA.

If I had a lawyer when I FTCAed them maybe they would not have pulled shenanigans with me....on that Peer Report....

But after many lawyers told me I didnt have a case (just by phone, none of them wanted to make an appointment to see my evidence)
I just figured... F... them, I can do it myself .

Then again in those days lawyers were not allowed to advertise their areas of expertise.

There are plenty of FTCA lawyers now on the net,who have VA experience.

But I dont advise that (doing these FTCA claims yourself) for anyone else unless they like to read boring legalise and detailed medical stuff and they also need to have a big pair of ....well you catch my drift ,to deal with the OGC lawyers.

I liked that part of my case.It was hard to deal with OGC but far better then dealing with those RO clowns I dealt with for my 1151 claim.

But that is awful, what you went through......

"All hospitals, doctor's offices and any other medical facilities are dangerous places." You bet. I get very worried when I see my dentist. I worry about that thing thery put in your mouth to suck up the saliva, more then the needles.Even the swish and spit cup.

" If the doctor or hospital gives you a staff infection I think it is very hard to win a lawsuit. "

This vet won 1151 for a staph infection but couldnt get a higher rating then he had:
http://www.va.gov/vetapp10/files1/1007575.txt

This AM Fox News had a blip on food safety at home and in restaurants.

I know a woman who had to pay out so much in compensation, for food poisining people got at her restauant,that she went out of business.

You would think VA infections would be based on the same principle as civil actions are.

Speaking of Fox news....the call your wife got John, from the PI.... They said on Fox that the IRS is trying to collect debts that go back decades and trying to collect those tax debts from relatives of the deficient tax payer. I wonder if this is the basis of that call your wife got.

Edited April 12, 2014 by Berta