Dirty instruments at another VA facility
Someone emailed us this morning to remind me that I haven’t criticized the Department of Veterans’ Affairs lately. And since TAH is daily fare for Eric “Black Beret” Shinseki (I’m told) I found this story from Mississippi’s Clarion-Ledger which reported that a whistleblower reported dirty instruments at the DVA’s hospital in Jackson. Apparently, the Office of the Inspector General, some of whom are friends of this blog, verified the whistleblower’s allegations;
Among the findings were that dirty and rust-stained instruments such as scalpels, blade handles, tissue and nail clippers and bone cutters were issued for use within the facility.
However, the report noted that generally when dirty instruments were distributed, staff replaced them with clean instruments before use.
Well, that makes me wonder, if they were replaced before they were used, why they even kept rusty scalpels around if they never intended to use them. I mean they saw the things, why didn’t they throw the damn things out?
A Pre-Clinical Risk Assessment Board that reviewed the situation at the podiatry clinic determined the risk to patients was negligible and there was no need for notices to be sent to patients about exposure to possible infection.
Yeah, if a private hospital had done that, we’d be reading about it across the country as headlines. But its the DVA and the patients were just veterans, so what’s the big damn deal?
Category: Veteran Health Care
Jonn, my “step-brother”, not really but he was like my little brother, is a world renowned Oncologist. When he was in med school he interned at VA Medical Centers. He was told before going there that the patients they will be seeing are basically the “dregs, alcholics, and drug addicts”. That attitude prevailed at all the schools he attended.
When I had my first hip operation in 87′ he was at George Washington Univerisity Hospital. I was at the VAMC DC which was the worst place I’d ever been in, EVER. My doctors were great, from Georgetown, but the rest was a nightmare. He would come visit me every day and I was impressed with that. Later when I asked him how he found the time he told me, “I thought my big brother was going to die in that place from neglect or infection. I had to go everyday to make sure you were alive.” It was 21 of the longest days in my life.
So…remember, if you use a VAMC, the interns are told before they go that you are a degenerate.
Honor and Courage
This whole VA thing is so widespread and a cluster bomb of a mess that I don’t think anyone could fix it.
The VA in Denver is good; my husband got sent there this past year for brain surgery. I found the staff to be very professional, and despite the large number of people they dealt with, personable.
There were “characters” there, which seems to be the order of the day at the VA’s; but they were all interesting, and as far as I was able to tell, fairly harmless.
Maybe not wrapped all that tight, though…
Am retired Army and the VA is the last place I would go for healthcare.
From what I got off Google, the military healthcare system is overwhelmed by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and equipment and facilities suffering from general wear and tear.
If the system is overwhelmed now what would it be if the US was in a war the magnitude of WWII. Important to survival is quick medical and good follow on care. Would it be there.
This is why the Federal government should be funded by the numbers. Each department, agency, committee, etc., would be given a number rating, starting with #1. The military would be the only #1 and would get their funding first, including the VA.
These are the ones who kept and are still keeping us free, and I want them to get the funding they need to do their job and the best care possible if they need it. If you go along with funding by the numbers, please contact your Federal officials.
Dear Hainer–the Iraq/Afghanistan wars have increased VA caseload by something like 5-7 percent. Hardly the “overwhelming” caseload the left loves to trot out. But then again, ask the left how much THEY have increased VA funding, first under Clinton, and now under Obama, versus how much it was increased under Bush.
Fact is, the vast majority of VA caseload is from Vietnam vets and military retirees, not Iraq/Afghan vets.