Request external review

[Doc8482M8404]

 How can I go about “blowing the whistle and getting external review done of my VA hospital? 

 I heard on the earlier podcast Sherman Howard said that if you call the presidential hotline all they do is call the facility and tell them your complaint so they can white wash it themselves. Any other suggestions? 

[Berta]

You can file a Complaint with the VA Inspector General- if it falls into a serious  waste, fraud, or abuse situation:

https://www.va.gov/oig/hotline/

The IG does not deal with claims issues.

Also you can write to the new VA Secretary Wilkie and send a copy to POTUS.

I suggest that you go over the IG site because they might have already looked into a similar problem at the same VAMC.

I have done all of above.

The VA IG could not help me with one problem I had , but it did get resolved- but did help a veteran member here with a problem they handled within a few hours. I advised the member here to file the complaint at the IG  web site and say it was a Safety Issue.

I was shocked at how fast they moved on it.

I heard some awful things yesterday about a recent problem at our locale VAMC- but this came from a disgruntled former  employee.

It was a Safety issue- I hope someone there contacted the VA IG-

Also you can contact your Congressman.....I did that Many times when my husband was having problems at this VAMC. My Congressman got on them immediately.

I almost called him again when I found out the VAMC had not given my husband a CT scan- his doctor ( no longer employed at VA) said their CT scan was broke-I told her I was going to call my Congressman as I pulled out some change to use the VA lobby phone-all of a sudden the CT scan was "Fixed" and it revealed she had been mis diagnosing him and treating him for the wrong thing  for almost 3 weeks.

A nurse pulled me over , as I waited for a nurse to get ahold of the Neuro doc in Syracuse who read the CT scan, and  his local VAMC doctor had said, the CT scan showed he needed brain surgery

-and this nurse asked me to try to get him into a better VA- by then they had done the scan and were prepping him for the ambulance ride to Syracuse VAMC.

The nurse said , Good, if he stays here any longer they will kill him.

After I discussed the CT scan with the Doc in Syracuse I knew it was noty a surgical problem at all.

At least he got 2 more years ---------before they caused his death .(FTCA/1151)

 

 

Edited August 1, 2018 by Berta

[Berta]

3 hours ago, Berta said:

I heard some awful things yesterday about a recent problem at our locale VAMC- but this came from a disgruntled former  employee.

I guess what he said is true-the Bath VAMC has 37 job openings- some posted over a month ago and many within a week or a few days ago.One was for a shrink, one or two were for doctors, (one for Urgent care)some misc. openings but  the most were for nurses....14-15 openings.I heard there were only 2 nurses on duty one night.

I dont know if he meant the VA CLL, ( Community Living Center) the main hospital or the Nursing Home there...or the whole place...

I heard not long ago that the nurses were quitting left and right-It appears to be true...........I wonder what is wrong.

[Doc8482M8404]

Thank you Berta!