Fayetteville VA- anyone here who gets a letter from VA on this

[Berta]

https://community.hadit.com/topic/72172-anyone-used-the-fayetteville-arkansas-va-over-the-past-few-years/

If you are one of the 19,000 plus who might have been potential misdiagnosed-and you receive this letter from VA -will you let us know?

There have been major  malpractice issues in 4 NC VA hospitals:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article9110780.html

The deceased veteran, that the above link refers to , is ,from what I can tell, our former radio show technician.

JBasser said his surviving spouse got a letter from the VA regarding his death and apparently he was a patient of the VA doctor they named.

 

 

Edited June 26, 2018 by Berta

[Berta]

We dont need to see the letter if it is same as the form above-

You will need to obtain a copy of your VA medical records- the Records Access officer at your VAMC might have a short form you would need to sign-

dont request them under FOIA, request them under the Privacy Act, 5 USC 552, but best way is to fill out the form at your VAMC. and Ask them for a copy of it for your records.

The letters going out regard any time your doctor had to send something to the VA Fayetteville pathology department, maybe for a biopsy, maybe for something else...we still don't have the name of the Pathologist. 

Veterans or their survivors can move this along faster than the VA if they know when the malpracticing pathologist ( they have confirmed 7-9 cases all ready) was sent something ordered by their doctor to the pathology dept.

The result of that lab test will be found in their VA medical records.

The malpractice lawyer I spoke to an hour ago,  is getting calls on this, already-but  vets who call ,do not know what they might have been misdiagnosed for-

he is certainly telling them to get their VA medical records.

That info -what they might have been mispracticed on- is critical to filing a FTCA SF 95.

The lawyer and I agree that there will more to this than we know now.

The letter alone is enough to give anyone Extreme stress.

I learned of another death ,along with Mike Sasser -that VA is reviewing carefully.over 5,000 died - who had reports done by this pathologist- hopefully none of those deaths were due to malpractice but , it is as likely as not some of them were wrongful deaths.

 

Edited June 27, 2018 by Berta

[Berta]

This is the form to use to get your VA medical records:

https://www.va.gov/vaforms/medical/pdf/vha-10-5345a-mhv-fill.pdf

Fill out on line or print off, fill it out, make your copy of it and give it to or send it to the Arkansas VAMC

( probably all letters on the patholist's misdiagnosis went out to Faytetteville VAMC vets- but their FOIA office could not confirm that for me-)  who treated you if you get one of the misdiagnosis letters.

This is what your lawyer has to fill out, if you have one already but you can still fill it out yourself.

[Berta]

If you have received the above letter from VA , Senator Boozman would like to hear from you:

contact info here

https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/dr-boozman-s-check-up?id=CA7540EE-5A65-40E2-A4B3-E14AEE06E5CD

If you also have a complete copy of your VA Medical Records, please let us know and I will direct you to a  local malpractice law firm.

[Berta]

I am sure some of these veterans have moved from the Arkansas area maybe they gave their RO their new address, but maybe it is not available at the Fayetteville VAMC or vice versa.

This story is growing on the net , on radio in Arkansas, and in paper and online News reports in AR but how many veterans will even see it there-who should have gotten the letter but maybe didnt- we all know how VA can forget to contact vets that  they have a C & P exam scheduled-or can completely overlook a vets new address , that the vet gave them, when they move.

The lawyer I spoke to recently had the same concern and I had the feeling VA is doing all they can to contain this news- this AM I found I was correct:

"Kelvin Parks, Interim Medical Center Director, says he's extremely disappointed this happened and is doing all they can keep it an isolated incident"

https://www.kark.com/news/state-news/fayetteville-va-fires-pathologist-after-patient-death/1246511660

Indeed they are- I am not considering this as an isolated incident at all.

I hope it becomes a Class Action.

 

[Berta]

bumping up for reporter

[Berta]

The Town Hall meeting is here:

www.http://www.4029tv.com/article/va-hospital-in-fayetteville-holds-town-hall-about-impaired-pathologist/22073617

It was 1hr and 39 minutes long. Interim Director Parks handled most of it-( which I considered mostly spin)

The veterans and their survivors give some serious poignant stories-

One vet, 2 tours in Vietnam, has been told by VA he has only 6 months to live-= it would be Wonderful if the results of their review on his med recs, show that in fact, this was a misdiagnosis and he has far more time left.

One widow ( maybe Mike Sasser's wife ( DOD 2015) said the word the VA does not want to hear ...Money but towards the end of this a VA employee advised a little about Section 1151 claims, for living vets amd also for their survivors.) I saw it live but will post link as soon as I get a transcript.

One man- who said he was an advocate ( but I think he was a lawyer) talked aboput a recent bill in Congress that would limit Torts (FTCA -to just 250,000 bucks) I will research that to find out what he means.