Received letter in the mail today from John F. Merkel, Director of Tuscaloosa VA Hospital, as a reply to a call to the White House VA Hotline where I was asking for his actions to be investigated and he not be contacted directly ...

[StretchBones]

TThe letter says that it is in reply to a VHA Office of Client Relations inquiry that I made on June 14, 2017. I have never made an inquiry to that office, but I did call the White House VA Hotline that day and offer information on negligence. I also signed paperwork asking that I not be identified when I filed my complaint was being investigated. Mr. Merkel knows EXACTLY who I am, but I chose to remain anonymous in this complaint for other reasons. The WH Hotline employee was extremely rude and cut me off from being able to finish providing vital information and simply said that he would submit that information to the Tuscaloosa VA so that they could investigate. They gave a request to investigate negligence to the person ordering the negligence.

This letter contains misinformation, major contradictions, and downright lies  I have proof of this in the form of sworn statements from VA staff and veterans, correspondence with theVAHRC office, veterans' medical records , and other documentation. Point blank, the Tuscaloosa VA is outright denying ANY medical treatment or attention from veterans who are currently inpatient there   Here is the letter. I will reply with said proof shortly.

[Berta]

"Point blank, the Tuscaloosa VA is outright denying ANY medical treatment or attention from veterans who are currently inpatient there  " 

If you get sworn statements from those patients , who testify under the same oath on the 21-4138,( copy the oath on whatever they sign),  and they actually sign their names, then there would be more results.

I was contacted by a few members here long ago who wanted me to make VA waves for them---call the IG, RO, OGC  etc etc etc.with their anonymous complaints.One even was a disgruntled ex wife who wanted me to report her ex was illegally getting TDIU. BS to that.

I cannot understand why you would file a complaint and then not give your name ....I gave them my name and my C file #. I have lots of proof for my formal complaint against a VARO director.

 

[StretchBones]

This wasn't the only complaint that I made, nor with the only VA office I have filed one with. I chose to remain anonymous on just this one complaint because I may or may not have given information by a VA employee who asked that very specific information not be able to be linked to him/her as a source.

[StretchBones]

For some reason it wouldn't let me edit OP. Meant to say thatall medical treatment FOR HEP C is being denied...other conditions are being treated

Edited June 30, 2017 by StretchBones

[Berta]

The VA has a policy on Hep C treatment regarding pts in the substance abuse program as far as I know.

There is some info here

https://www.hepatitis.va.gov/provider/policy/military-blood-exposures.asp

I would think some Hep C treatments would be contraindicated by any pt. who might have a history of

illegal drug use. Also these pts , if they are in a substance abuse program (which the VA excels at -in my opinion) would want to remain anonymous regarding a complaint anyone else is making for them,unless they are sharing their personal info with another NA/AA member in a closed meeting.

I didnt mean to sound abrupt ,if I did above....it is just that -if a vet complains about their own problems with VA care, and I know MANY veterans have valid complaints about their care  -----

 they might not have any basis at all to complain about the care of other veterans.Because their medical records are theirs only and they fall under the Hippa laws.

I guess my point is..if using the hot line...it is best to stick to your own problems with VA.

After I won FTCA, it went through the local VA like wildfire.because that VA was the main part of my charges.  I cannot begin to count the many times vets would come up to me to complain and ask how to file medical malpractice /1151 claims. I had many friends in the vet community at the hospital ,did some volunteer work there, and not one of the complainers ever took the steps to even file a 1151 claim....with a state vet rep office mere yards away from the Main hospital, the canteen and even from the DOM. I see it here too.

Someone will appear to have a valid basis for a Section 1151 claim or a legit complaint... we give them advice and they never come back...and many issues can be handled by patient advocates at the VAMCs.   If that doesn't resolve the issue, often a visit to the Director's office will do the trick.Best to make an appointment first- and be prepared as to what you need to say. 

We had a paranoid schizophrenic service connected member here ( Terry) who is now deceased. Terry was brilliant and knew VA case law inspite of his hallucinations and other problems. He got a lawyer to sue a veteran's home because they were giving the vets piss poor care. He won and everything at that vet's home changed. Somewhere here on and on line is his story and the newspaper article when he exposed the home and won.He lived in that home and could give direct eye witness accounts in swore testimony  of how poorly the vets were being treated.For all I know he might have even gotten info on tape and video.

I guess my point point is what I have had multiple experiences with- to include spouses of deceased vets with horror stories of how VA killed their spouse, yet they present no evidence and are unwilling to consider 1151/ FTCA, and certainly wont shell out cash for a solid IMO...because they choose only to complain and not take any action at all.

I apologize if I seem tough on these points but I know what it is like to really get the VA to move on lack of proper treatment and medical care. It takes a lot of evidence.

 

 

 

 

[broncovet]

I understand exactly why a Veteran would file a complaint and not give their name...

VA   RETALIATION

 

[Berta]

This is why the "Whistleblower Protection" part of the Accountability Act has to include veterans.

Jerrel  felt the word "employee" in that part of the Act covers all of us....I 'don't feel it covers any of us.

(in the radio show we did Thursday)

You are correct Broncovet. VA has instilled tremendous fear in veterans .

I have stacks of proof of what I consider  VA retaliation.

Is anyone here willing to call 1-855-948-2311 ( the WH hot line) and then follow their call up with a formal letter to Sec/Trump with evidence of  bonafide VA retaliation?

The fact also that in a 1997 decision for my 1151 claim, the VA stated they believed my husband died from an overdose of COCAINE. He didnt even drink! Can you imagine VA telling your surviving  spouse something like that when she applies for DIC?

With a 6 page autopsy that included a full toxicology report ( the only drugs in his system were the VA meds)

needed because he was an organ donor, the RO made sure the C & P ( AND the VACO doctor who was opining on my FTCA issue) never saw that autopsy. They had 12 copies I sent to the VARO  hoping they would read it.

Only by raising hell did I find out what they did, I then sent VACO the autopsy and got my awards.

But maybe I am the only VA claimant who really has ever been retaliated against.

My husband is dead due to VA health care that included wrong meds, undiagnosed, untreated diabetes mellitus from AO , undiagnosed and untreated AO IHD, indiagnosed and untreated TIAs and CVA, and misdiagnosed HBP -all above causing and contributing to his death. (documented)

Probably if they did develop a Claimant Protection Act, they would not get many claimants of retaliation anyhow.

I have a question for all....did anyone listen to the radio show I did on Thursday here?

Do you have any ideas about what we discussed?