"Shoddy" VA med care and cover ups-Fox News

[Berta]

I guess many others as well as myself, for years, have been griping to VA about this.

I pointed out 2 specific ways to the Secretary and to Potus, months ago, as to how the VA gets away with hiding their neglignce and malpractice statistics,under 1151 awards as well as FTCA.

This was a brief story at 6:45 AM so I hope I can get more info on who is looking into this and where the report came from.

Maybe it was USA Today....missed the source. Did anyone else hear this at Fox this AM?

They did say settlements under FTCA have cost the VA Millions...

23 years ago this Saturday my husband died- death by VA....this all was part of my call to the Veterans Hotline as well....

I called as an advocate pushing a few reasons why we have a backlog, and how VAROs perpetrate that backlog,by making ridiculous errors in decisions, deliberately ignoring evidence, etc etc, ( they had part of my C file stuff when they called me back and I told them my multiple decisions alone in my C file prove what I had written to them about,but then they asked me a to talk a little about my husband...I had not mentioned him at that point, and they knew from whatever they accessed via VA,he had died.

I broke down and told them how the VA killed him.... I am still angry-----there have been plenty more successful FTCAs and 1151 claims  in the past 23 years......costing our tax payers Millions. I think they also had a copy of my H VAC testimony too.  Maybe something will Finally be done. Instead of just moving malpracticing doctors to other VAMCs- maybe now they will get fired.

 

 

 

Edited October 12, 2017 by Berta

[Berta]

Here it is:

In part:

"In some cases, agency managers do not report troubled practitioners to the National Practitioner Data Bank, making it easier for them to keep working with patients elsewhere. The agency also failed to ensure VA hospitals reported disciplined providers to state licensing boards."

Yeah, that is exactly how I explained what the National Practitioners Data Bank is for, mandated with reporting requirements, and what the VA never reports under FTCA settlements , is hidden from thepublic, to include Congress, and it allows negligent doctors to continue to harm or kill veterans.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/10/11/va-conceals-shoddy-care-and-health-workers-mistakes/739852001/

Briefly going through this article, I see a statement that seems to be wrong- I will contact the writers- I think the inaccurate statement came from the VA.

Edited October 12, 2017 by Berta

[broncovet]

Berta...Thank you for your years of service to Veterans, and to fix this injustice.  

However, this being said, I do not (always) blame the doctors, tho there are, of course, bad docs also.  

The reason I say this is that I just got back from England, where my son and his wife are stationed.  She is a MD, stationed in England.  

She (the doctor) is equally frustrated with the military medical care, and tells me that VA is even worse.  If you PM me, I will send you her name, but I wont be publishing this for her security.  

I had another friend, who is a psychiatrist, who tried to get hired at the VA for more than 2 years.  He has since given up.  There are some great advantages of working for the government in health care.  

The biggest is probably that you are exempt from medical malpractice insurance.  This is because the government provides it for VA and military doctors.  

The biggest frustration she sees is that she has such a small amount of time to see each patient.  

I had complained to her that, when I go to the doc, I had better not have "2" issues, they really only want to see me for one.  

She said she understood that, because she has to see a ridicilious number of patients per day..something on the order of about 100 patients per day.  

She has to literally make an "instant" medical decision.  Whether to order tests, or whether, in many cases, the patient went to the doc to get out of work.  

I used to play chess.    A typical chess tournament has 40 moves in 2 hours.  Many games are complete in that time frame, but if you make 40 moves, then you can go another 40 moves in another 2 hours.  A chess clock keeps track of your time and your opponents time, as you punch the clock after each move so your clock only runs while YOU are thinking not your opponent.  

Then there was lightning chess, where the game had to be completed in 5 minutes.  I have seen both and I guarantee you the quality suffers on all level of chessplayers when the clock runs down.  

In a similar way, you probably like to think about things for a while and then often come to a better decision down the road than you initially made.  

These doctors have to play "the lightning round".  Its all about the money.  If a Doc is paid $100 per hour, and he can see 100 patients a day, then it only costs VA about $8 per patient.  (800 salary divided by 100 patients)  However, if the doc saw 20 patients per day instead, then it costs VA $40 per patient visit.  

Worse, the VA could spend the money for more docs, but they dont/wont because of waste, and corruption at the VA.  The bottom line is the VA literally wastes the money for good health care and squanders it on over cost hosptials, and all the scandals we hear about and a lot more we never hear about.  

I dont blame the docs anymore..they have to make an instant decision and most of us would not be able to hold up on that high of a standard.  

While I have benefitted, personally for your help, it may be time for you to forgive the people who made mistakes that lead to your husbands death.  No, not for their benefit, but for yours.  I know Im taking the risk of alienating you, and I sure hope I do not do that, but I think a friend is one to tell someone they messed up sometimes, and not just always tell them what they want to hear.  

[Tbird]

https://www.hadit.com/can-trust-va-togus-medical-experts-va-blamed-one-botched-surgery-another-lone-podiatrist/

 

[Berta]

The VA saves lives every day...I have stated that many times here. And I have forgiven the doctors Long ago---but I do not forgive a system that keeps allowing this 'injustice' to occur.

Some of the multiple doctors who malpracticed on my husband were young enough to still be giving veterans medical care at the VAMCs, and thoroughout the last 2 decades. 

Only a family victimized not only be a wrongful death, and then victimized by the very system every veteran's service created ,if they charge the VA with negligence,

could possibly understand what my husband went through.

I messed up?

He asked me to make two promises if he died.one of them was to go after the VA if they caused his death, and the other was to help his 'brothers and sisters' who served ,through the claims process.

He never lived long enough to know that the same VAMC almost killed his co worker and friend too,by malpracing during the same period of time on him too , same VAMC..

That vet got 100% P & T under 1151 in mere months after I prepared his claim.

VARO awards of 1151 are not public and VA never reports them to anyone,sometimes not even to the VISN director, who is supposed to know of them.

I do not accept your inference that I have "messed up".

I have helped many here over the years understand how to file FTCA and 1151 claims..because of what happened to my husband...and it gets very painful

.Can you start handling  those forums for me? We have a very difficult  potential FTCA,1151, AO DIC issue in the Geeks topic that no Mod has moved yet, per my request

I better start re-thinking how I spend my time  here.

 

 

I dont do PMs.

.

[EODCMC]

Berta, I'm sorry your loss is still acute. I wish you well.

This week I had a Personal Hearing w/DRO ( Hearing reconsideration/NOD) and C&P (QTC) reconsideration for cervical issues. I have 2 observations...both anecdotal:

1. The DRO and my VSO got to talking about the recently VA legislation signed by the President. The DRO seemed happy that it goes into effect next week and removes hindrances to speedy appeals. My Wounded Warrior rep seemed unaware. I'm not versed in the legislation but it sounded good for the veterans and it was happening SOON.

2. And in support of Bronc's comments. The QTC doctor that examined me seemed pretty versed in my medical record. He said all the elements were there except the in-service event (parachute malfunction). He asked my help pointing this out because he couldn't give me a favorable recommendation on my say so alone. It was in my C-file and I showed him a copy. He seemed relieved and when I went on to show other evidence, he stopped me. He said, I don't need it. You gave me what I need. He took a couple of minutes taking measurements and I was out the door  in a total of 15 minutes from my arrival. I arrived 30 min early and I was out in 15. The veteran should not expect the VA (All) to do a thorough job. They just don't have the time...skimming is commonplace. And, some are just worthless. 

BTW, I think things went well in both cases, but we will see.

[broncovet]

You did not mess up with me, as I explained, Berta, I am a beneficiary of your help.  One of hundreds.   I have had a long road of pain, but my pain ended with forgiveness of my ex.  Did my ex DESERVE my forgiveness?   Probably not.  However, my pain ended when I was able to forgive.  I speculated that my advice may help, but forgive me if it did not.  I just looked back on the absolute relief I felt when I was able to forgive...which I could not do alone...and I had to pull out the big guns..I had to ask God to help me forgive.  

My son was taken away from me for 14 years.  I could not see him and did not know if he was alive.  My ex wife lied to the judge and he believed her, but did not belive me, when I told him the truth.  That all happened because my mother testifed for me.  You see, my son was admitted to the hosptial because he had severe diaper rash.  

I should have never brought that issue up in court, but did so out of anger.  

Well the judge checked and stated there was no "admission" on my son the date I said.  Well, that was true because the hospital initially admitted him, but released him in the early am, and to save me money, did not show the record of admission.  I did not realize that until later.  

So, the judge thought he caught my MOTHER in a lie, when it was a question of symantics..my son was in the ER, and he was admitted, but quickly released so the hospital records were negative for an admission.  

After that, the judge beleved everything my ex said, and nothing I said.   He took away my son.  

The anger built and built for 5 years.  Then, one day while I was praying I began..."...and forgive those who trespass against us.."   I knew that was a lie, and I could not tell God that lie, because I had not forgiven my ex.  At that time, God spoke to me and said I was right, that I needed to forgive her.   

Of course, I said, "But look what she did to me."  

God responded that he would deal with her, in his own time and own way, but right now he was dealing with me.  

"But I can not forgive her."

"  Tell me what it is that you can not do with my help."   At that moment the picture of David killing Goliath went in my head.  

"Nothing, Lord".  

So, I began to speak these words, which were followed by a question mark:

"I forgive you (Sue)???"   Then after I heard myself speak the words, I spoke them more confidently:

I FOGIVE YOU! 

And, I completely forgave her, and do not harbor one bit of hate against her, even now.  

I tell this story as an amazing burden was lifted..a pastor called it "toxic unforgiveness" as it puts poison in our system.  

Please believe me when I tell you Berta, Im telling you this to help, not to harm.  I think you are great.