VA shuffles deck chairs on sinking ship
According to USA Today, the scandal-ridden Department of Veterans’ Affairs is trying to solve it’s leadership problems by shuffling the leaders instead of looking for new competent people to run it’s medical facilities;
Although Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald has asserted that more than “90%” of the VA’s medical centers have “new leadership” or “leadership teams” since he took over the troubled agency in 2014, a USA TODAY investigation found the VA has hired just eight medical center directors from outside the agency during that time.
The rest of the “new leadership” McDonald cites is the result of moving existing managers between jobs and medical centers. Some managers were transferred to new jobs despite concerns about the care provided to veterans at the facilities they were previously managing.
Here’s USA Today’s graphic representation of the shuffled deck chairs;
McDonald said the number itself is “almost irrelevant” and what’s important is that he and other VA leaders are “trying to attract top talent, to get them in the right seats on the bus, in order to make outcome changes for veterans.”
VA Undersecretary for Health David Shulkin said salary constraints, a lengthy hiring process and other factors have limited the agency’s ability to attract non-VA applicants.
“We tend to use lots of numbers and that can be confusing, and what I’m trying to do is simplify the message, so here’s my message: I need help,” Shulkin said.
Yes, you do need help – you can start with the definition of the word “change”.
Category: Veterans' Affairs Department
No matter how you shuffle it, a deck of 52 Jokers will still be a deck of 52 Jokers.
“don’t call my bluff”
Yep.
Maybe they should trying playing “52 Card Pick Up”.
And the game is still just as crooked.
Maybe they’re taking HR advice from the RCC, after all pedo priests were quietly moved to different parishes in the hopes there would a different outcome in the new parish. Sadly, the VA movements like the RCC relocation only bring misery to another community.
Whatever happened to firing turds who don’t do their fucking jobs? If I had to run my business this way I’d no longer have a business.
Union rules.
Not exactly. Supervisory personnel in the Federal civil service are not eligible to belong to the Federal employee unions because technically they’re “agency management”.
However, given how the MSPB bends over backwards to preserve “employee rights” – and some of the idiotic decisions from the MSPB in cases of blatant wrongdoing – they might as well be union members. They seem as difficult to fire, if not more so.
Considering some of the people I’ve worked with in the fed govt, I’d say it’s damn near impossible.
How many of those moves come with a relocation and home buying benefit?
Buyouts of “unsold” homes at the ask price, well over market.
Relocation pay.
Paid time off to move.
“Expenses” paid, perhaps with little scrutiny.
Damn Mess…
What’s the point of enrolling in VA health care when you can’t even get past the front door? I could get better care from my veterinarian.
FWIW, Walgreen’s is offering free flu shots for vets at their clinics again, through March 2017. Just show them your VA health care card.
Note, no transfer from or to Arkansas’ two VA medical centers. The Central Arkansas Veterans Health Care System (Little Rock and North Little Rock) has an up through the ranks director who does an excellent job and leads from the front. I know some of her top staff as well and all are dedicated and responsive, and have been for years. I also hear good things about veterans Health Care of the Ozarks in Fayetteville. I was not impressed with the VA folks I dealt with in Memphis, TN (serving eastern Arkansas) but they were in public affairs and had to wear loafers because they could not learn to tie shoe laces. If public affairs was that bad, you have to figure management is not stellar. The main problem is their archaic rules and personnel system.
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!
Cocksuckers.
Shit, a corrupt VA chief is now in my Portland? Well, I guess I will finally get the fucking tests I need after I die. I wonder if my wife can sue the VA for the back pay when the autopsy shows the problems I suffer from that the VA says are just in my head? You know, because a cracked skull from an explosion doesn’t mean I have a TBI, it could have just cracked without any damage to the brain.
I applied for a position at the VA in Portland, was told after the job closed that my application was in HR… haven’t heard a word since.
I guess they are really looking that hard “trying to attract top talent” – a vet with a MBA and healthcare experience must not meet their needs….
HMCS(FMF) ret: if it’s been less than about 6 months, don’t give up hope. It’s my impression that hiring from outside the agency in the Federal government often takes a looong time.
SC, it ain’t just the VA. I have over 30 years of experience in intel operations and I applied for about 5 positions at ONI for which I was completely qualified.
Never heard one word from them. Not one word.
I went for a position at TVA about 10 years ago. Nailed the interview, managers wanted to hire me on the spot.
But they had to go through HR.
Four months go by, heard nothing. Called HR head at TVA. Let her know I was still interested in position, but that I had other offers pending.
Her response? “Then do what ya gotta do!” Needless to say I did not take the job. Three months after that (after I started elsewhere) I got a call from the manager asking if I was still interested.
Uh, yeah, no.
Governmental HRs are notoriously bad.
I think someone needs to slip some Ex-Lax into their coffee so they can learn to let it go.
Doc, when the government gets involved in any type of job hiring it can be a train wreck.
I applied to do contract work for the US Marshals in 2005, I did not hear anything about the position until 2007.
Of course later I was advised that OPM had a data breech, but that is a whole other rant.
Graphic is confusing. Are two people being transferred to Phoenix? WRJ VT VA has greatly improved from my recollection of previous visits. Hope they can continue.
That’s what it looks like to me too…
No matter how you rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic, the VA is still sinking.
Reminds me of an article I saw last week where Obama stated that in response to the issues the VA had fired “lots” of managers and workers who had been found to be deficient…and it turned out that “lots” was ‘six’.
Hines VA in Chicago, one of the worst, just got a new head who is both. Dr and a full bird Army Col who is about to retire (in 10 days) from active duty. Met him, seems like he’s got his head screwed on straight and is committed. Promises to enroll himself, made a sarcastic joke about seeing how bad he gets screwed up, even if they flag his name.
Sadly, it looks like CA got Hines’ failure. Hines VA, where maggots were found in the inpatient food service kitchen. Probably from all the bodies they’ve let pile up in their morgue.
It is interesting to read the Inspector Generals Reports on these facilities. Maybe the VA Directors should read a few of the reports and try implementing the recommended changes.
http://www.va.gov/oig/apps/info/OversightReports.aspx?RPP=10&RS=3