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VA Hospital Reform now.

As a country we were shocked to learn of the conditions that existed at the Walter Reed VA facility. It turns out that these conditions are not shocking at all. Veterans who depend on these services tell story upon story of the inadequate care, un-kept hospitals, struggles to qualify for care, and endless paper work that impedes care. We owe them more.As a country we were shocked to learn of the conditions that existed at the Walter Reed VA facility. It turns out that these conditions are not shocking at all. Veterans who depend on these services tell story upon story of the inadequate care, un-kept hospitals, struggles to qualify for care, and endless paper work that impedes care. We owe them more.
6 Comments  »  Posted by http://warismyconcern.wordpress.com to Homeland Security, Veterans on 1/12/2009 12:33 PM

Comments
 
Keren
1/12/2009 1:15 PM
Walter Reed is not a VA facility.  It is an Army hospital for use by active duty personnel and their dependents.  And none of THEM were shocked - Walter Reed's substandard conditions for enlisted personnel is "business as usual".  I know - my husband was a Navy Corpsman for 10 years. 
 
Forgotten Vet
1/12/2009 1:33 PM
Walter Reed is a high visibility Hospital, and it'sbetter than most VA facilities. As a Vet, I can tell you that VA Hospitals only offer sub par, often times abusive care. None of what happened at Walter Reed was a shock to most Vets.
 
womenvets
1/12/2009 5:18 PM
Sad but true.  Care at VA hospitals is actually scary.  I've had care at active duty facilities, civilian facilities and VA facilities and I dread each and every visit to a VA "hospital".  Unfortunately since I'm a 100% disabled vet, I have no choice but to use the VA "hospital".  I've seen things that would get civilian hospitals shut down.  I report them and it's swept under the rug because the VA looks out for the VA--kind of the fox guarding the hen house.

There needs to be an outside agency inspecting VA medical centers...and the inspections need to be no-notice inspections.

I invite you Sir and all members of your staff to tour all of the VA "hospitals" no-notice.  You will be shocked.
 
john hammond
1/12/2009 8:46 PM
 I was operated on last April at the VA Dallas they saved my life.
 
Sostane
1/13/2009 1:17 AM
Ten years ago, veterans hospitals were dangerous, dirty, and scandal-ridden. Today, they're producing the highest quality care in the country. Their turnaround points the way toward solving America's health-care crisis.

The VA medical system actually has some of the hightest quality care in the country and many vets prefer to get ther care there. Read the book "the best care anywhere" The VA has electronic medcal records in place and are providing excellenct care wth less staff and resrouces then nearly any other health care system in the US. Get your facts straight and don't smear an amazing health care system.

Walter Reed s a department of defense hospital not a VA hosptal. 
 
Sostane
1/13/2009 1:20 AM
"Who do you think receives higher-quality health care. Medicare patients who are free to pick their own doctors and specialists? Or aging veterans stuck in those presumably filthy VA hospitals with their antiquated equipment, uncaring administrators, and incompetent staff? An answer came in 2003, when the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine published a study that compared veterans health facilities on 11 measures of quality with fee-for-service Medicare. On all 11 measures, the quality of care in veterans facilities proved to be "significantly better."

Here's another curious fact. The Annals of Internal Medicine recently published a study that compared veterans health facilities with commercial managed-care systems in their treatment of diabetes patients. In seven out of seven measures of quality, the VA provided better care.

It gets stranger. Pushed by large employers who are eager to know what they are buying when they purchase health care for their employees, an outfit called the National Committee for Quality Assurance today ranks health-care plans on 17 different performance measures. These include how well the plans manage high blood pressure or how precisely they adhere to standard protocols of evidence-based medicine such as prescribing beta blockers for patients recovering from a heart attack. Winning NCQA's seal of approval is the gold standard in the health-care industry. And who do you suppose this year's winner is: Johns Hopkins? Mayo Clinic? Massachusetts General? Nope. In every single category, the VHA system outperforms the highest rated non-VHA hospitals."

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