May Be Changing My Tune

Saturday afternoon I got a firsthand look at what the proposed health care might look like. A great deal of the bill demands treatment much like you will find for our veterans at VA hospitals around the nation. Some of that care is very good, but other institutions are lacking in quality and timeliness.

I took my brother-in-law to Carl Hayden VA Hospital here in Phoenix for emergency treatment for a back problem and an issue with his recently amputated leg. As we entered the small area of the waiting room, we were immediately met with a great many people either waiting for treatment, or who had just been treated and were expecting medication.

We came into ED about 1:10 and my brother-in-law went back around 1:25 and saw triage nurse. I thought that this was rather quick and proudly thought to myself that if this was how Obamacare worked, then I did not understand what the fuss was about. Jim returned at 1:45, pretty quick, huh? He was told there were 3 doctors and things were going quickly, but at 3:20, he was still sitting in waiting room to see a doctor along with about 10 other patients.

At one point, a man who had been waiting on treatment for over two hours tore his ID band off and left in anger. A member of the staff commented, "He has only been here two hours. He should consider himself lucky." He was right.

Another man waited 3 hours to get his medications; I have no idea how long he waited for his appointment.

At 1:19, an elderly man entered the Emergency Department in obvious distress; he is put in wheel chair and let sit. He complains of nausea, fatigue, chills. He has the dry heaves & trouble breathing, but it takes about 10 minutes before he is seen. Not a pleasant sight as he struggles, gags, and chokes in front of everyone in the waiting room.

1:30 he is finally called back, we do not see him again.

After waiting in the most uncomfortable chairs around (All waiting room chairs, whether in doctor's offices or ERs are uncomfortable by design) I go up to the window and ask for some information about waiting times, number of doctors, etc.

A staff member tells me that some days patients could wait up to six hours for help. Three hours into our wait, a call for "rapid response" brought no fewer than six health professionals. They left about five minutes later upon the death of their patient. How did I know the patient died?

A few minutes after that, staff members wheel the body through the waiting room, face uncovered, pretending they are taking the non-breathing person to a room.

Jim is called back at 4:21. He returns at 4:52. His medications finally arrive a half hour later. Almost four hours later, we are able to exit the emergency room. But wait, he does not have all his medications! According to ER rules that the VA has, some of the medications can only be for four days, so now he has to return on Monday (Today), get in line, see a patient advocate who may or may not approve the additional meds, then return again on Wednesday to pick them up. Pretty inconvenient, isn't it?

Although Jim's doctors were excellent, he says, the system is broken and a great bureaucracy. There was no room for common sense in it, and, at least in the case of the gentleman who expired, not a great deal of sensitivity.

VA care is pretty much the model that Obamacare is built upon.

After watching this exercise in social medicine at Carl Hayden Hospital, I may have to change my tune. If this is how vets are treated and IF all VA hospitals run like this, how can the general population expect better?

Doughnut

Addendum--- I know that not all VA Hospitals are like this. The VA in Tucson is pretty good and efficient. The people are great and seem happy and eager to help. So, if that is the model, then things will be fine.

OSC Report: Prescott VA Has Problems

A couple of blogs ago, I told you of the troubles that my brother-in-law had up at the Prescott VA. On Thursday, a story in the Daily Courier told of an investigation into possible problems that were brought to light by nurse Jerri Bedell who was fired after she came forward with information and blew the whistle.

The report vindicated her, but still she is a personna non grata in the medical industry. Bedell did to the Prescott VA what was tantamount to telling us that the Pentagon pays $100 dollars for a $20 dollar hammer, or that Sheriff Joe bought a bus without asking for permission. She should be protected by federal whistleblower laws. But, she cannot find a job.

The probem with the report was that it did not go far enough. The investigation only went so far as to say that some employees at the Bob Stump Veterans Administration Medical Center used drugs illegally. It did not go into the abuse of patients by the staff.

It did not go into the pervasive feeling of employees that they cannot bring to light injustices and malpractice that is going on up there. There are people that would come forward, but they have been threatened with their jobs and careers, and they are in no position to rock the boat. The feds certainly are not protecting them.

If the Office of the Special Counsel is really interested in justice and doing the right thing, It should keep the investigation going and dig deeper. Heads should roll. But, since the report has already been forwarded to President Obama, it is most likely closed and the true victims. the veterans, will never be heard from or about. The truth is, it did not want to go deeper.

My question in this is, "Where is John McCain?" McCain is the head of the veteran affairs committee and purports himself to be the champion of vets. Why is he not arraigning hearings, doing investigations by his committee? If there this is going on in Prescott, could it be happening in other places? Don't our vets deserve more answers and better care? Why does he hide his head in the sand?

Probably too busy trying to find a stake for J.D. Hayworth.

Doughnut