What can be done now to help veterans? Based on my experience working in VA hospitals early in my career, here are my top 10 prescriptions to fix egregious failures. These common-sense ideas are already working in the private sector. \n\n\n\x3cp>Op-ed By Elizabeth Lee Vliet, M.D.\x3c/p>\n\x3cp>President Obama promised to fix the Veterans Administration (VA) problems. “We need to make sure folks get the care they need without long waiting lists and long drives,” he said in early 2008 stump speeches.\x3c/p>\n\x3cp id=\"yui_3_16_0_1_1403028908781_8106\">In 2014, the VA scandal grows worse daily: \x3cem>USA Today\x3c/em> reported more than 100,000 veterans are waiting to see doctors. In Florida, 8,500 veterans have been waiting more than 3 months for appointments. In Phoenix, 58 veterans died on secret waiting lists. A new audit found 64 percent of VA facilities falsified wait times, and 13 percent of schedulers were actually \x3cem>trained \x3c/em>to engage in fraud. The longest waits are for mental health services. Veterans’ suicides, though reported to be falsely low, are at 22 per day or an outrageous 8,030 every year.\x3c/p>\n\x3cp id=\"yui_3_16_0_1_1403028908781_8104\">The evidence is damning: A single-payer, top-down, government-controlled monopoly does NOT work to meet the needs of patients timely, efficiently, or compassionately. The VA shows what Obamacare portends for all.\x3c/p>\n\x3cp>What can be done \x3cem>now\x3c/em> to help veterans? Based on my experience working in VA hospitals early in my career, here are my top 10 prescriptions to fix egregious failures. These common-sense ideas are already working in the private sector.\x3c/p>\n\x3cp id=\"yui_3_16_0_1_1403028908781_8100\"> 1. End the VA monopoly. Cut the backlog of veterans waiting for appointments by immediately issuing VA-paid vouchers for private medical care for all veterans waiting more than 3 weeks for a VA doctor’s appointment. Give control back to the Veterans as to which doctor they see, and allow them to use VA benefits to do so.\x3c/p>\n\x3cp id=\"yui_3_16_0_1_1403028908781_8096\"> 2. Give every veteran a copy of every medical report and office visit note at the time of appointment. Reports show medical records data entry is backlogged for months, endangering patients. Empower patients with control of their medical information.\x3c/p>\n\x3cp id=\"yui_3_16_0_1_1403028908781_8094\"> 3. Stop rewarding failure with more money! It makes no sense to reward fraud and corrupt practices as at the Phoenix VA by awarding that facility more than $20 million dollars for a new “community” facility. Clean up the mess before doling out more taxpayer money.\x3c/p>\n\x3cp id=\"yui_3_16_0_1_1403028908781_8093\"> 4. End “death by bureaucrat.” Stop fattening the cow of bureaucracy. Provide funds for medical services instead. The VA budget has increased 106 percent from 2003-2013, but VA facilities only saw 30 percent more patients. There is far more spent on administrators and managers. Much \x3cem>less\x3c/em> is spent hiring doctors, nurses, and providing actual medical care.\x3c/p>\n\x3cp id=\"yui_3_16_0_1_1403028908781_8090\"> 5. Investigate and prosecute fraud as the crime that it is, instead of continuing cover-ups and stealth transfers to other facilities. Employees guilty of fraud should be fired and stripped of all federal benefits and pensions.\x3c/p>\n\x3cp id=\"yui_3_16_0_1_1403028908781_8086\"> 6. Strengthen the “whistleblower” protections for VA employees who see fraud, mistreatment, and bad practices and want to come forward. The climate of intimidation, bullying, and threatened loss of job and pension continues to oppress honest, caring employees. Such practices must stop.\x3c/p>\n\x3cp id=\"yui_3_16_0_1_1403028908781_8082\"> 7. Require normal private-sector work schedules at all VA facilities for staff, nurses, and doctors to insure that timely medical services can be delivered. Despite the huge backlog, VA doctors and nurses work far lighter schedules than peers in private hospitals.\x3c/p>\n\x3cp id=\"yui_3_16_0_1_1403028908781_8078\"> 8. Make every employee and every department accountable for quality measures that are properly monitored. Make it easier to fire employees who do not perform or who have bad attitudes toward the veterans they are supposed to serve.\x3c/p>\n\x3cp id=\"yui_3_16_0_1_1403028908781_8074\"> 9. Eliminate “bonuses” for doing jobs that one is being paid to do. “Pay-for-performance” has encouraged “cooking the books” to get that bonus. It needs to stop now.\x3c/p>\n\x3cp id=\"yui_3_16_0_1_1403028908781_8070\"> 10. Sell the VA facilities to private enterprise that can better meet the unique needs of Veterans. Free market forces will drive needed changes faster and more efficiently than government-run bloated bureaucracies can ever do. Use savings to pay for better quality medical care for Veterans.\x3c/p>\n\x3cp id=\"yui_3_16_0_1_1403028908781_8066\">The United States has a legal obligation to our veterans for their medical care. We have a \x3cem>moral\x3c/em> duty to fulfill our commitment when our veterans have served this country with honor and at great personal sacrifice.\x3c/p>\n\x3cp id=\"yui_3_16_0_1_1403028908781_6454\">The key is to put control in the hands of the men and women who fought our wars. They know how to solve problems. Government meddling consistently makes problems worse, and for many has been a death sentence.\x3c/p>\n\x3cp id=\"yui_3_16_0_1_1403028908781_6452\">Do we have the moral courage, the WILL, the leadership, and the genuine concern for our veterans as human beings to make the changes that can save lives, lower costs and restore dignity for our veterans?\x3c/p>\n\x3cp id=\"yui_3_16_0_1_1403028908781_8060\">\x3cem>Elizabeth Lee Vliet, M.D. is a 2014 Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipient, and the 2007 recipient of the Voice of Women award from the Arizona Foundation for Women for her pioneering advocacy for the overlooked hormone connections in women’s health.\x3cbr>\x3c/em>\x3c/p>\x3cp>\x3cimg src=\"http://mtdata.ru/u18/photo6F0D/20113886636-0/original.jpg#20113886636\" />\x3c/p>","comments_count":0,"marks_count":0,"likes":{"count":0,"user_likes":0,"can_like":0,"marks_pluses":0,"marks_minuses":0,"user_like_attr":null,"like_attr_ids":[]},"fame_actions_positive_count":0,"fame_actions_negative_count":0,"fame_actions":[],"url":"https://politisite.mirtesen.ru/blog/43380023146","tags":["Living","veterans","VA","VA Scandal","Health","Obama","Medical Care","Prescription","Physician","veteran","Top Story"],"date":1403030620,"canEdit":false,"foreignPollId":null,"attachments":[{"photo":{"id":20113886636,"photo_original":"https://mtdata.ru/u18/photo6F0D/20113886636-0/original.jpg","width":500,"height":300}}],"group":{"display_name":"Politisite","url":"https://politisite.mirtesen.ru","photo_original":"//olnl.net/u29/group14C3/b8ec4844baf4c9c675947990c9efb433-0/__logo.jpeg","id":30625332794,"canViewBlogPostCreator":false,"showSubscribersAmount":true,"is_subscribed":false,"is_member":false,"is_owner":false,"is_staff":false,"created":1402008963955},"canonical_url":"https://politisite.mirtesen.ru/blog/43380023146","topic":"politics","title":"VA Scandal: A Physician’s Prescription for Veteran’s Medical Care","preview_text":"What can be done now to help veterans? Based on my experience working in VA hospitals early in my career, here are my top 10 prescriptions to fix egregious failures. These common-sense ideas are already working in the private sector. \x3c!-- Quick Adsense WordPress Plugin: http://quicksense.net/","post_type":"post","formattedDates":{"iso":"2014-06-17T18:43:40.000Z","ver1":"17 июня, 22:43","ver2":"17.06.2014 в 22:43","ver3":"17 июня, 22:43"},"images":[{"main":true,"url":"https://mtdata.ru/u18/photo6F0D/20113886636-0/original.jpg","width":500,"height":300}],"videos":[],"shared_post":null,"mentionedPersons":null},{"id":43581943806,"from_id":334605940,"from":{"id":334605940,"display_name":"Marcus Campbell","url":"https://mirtesen.ru/people/334605940","photo_original":"https://mtdata.ru/u4/photo6F84/20958686078-0/original.jpeg","isAuthenticAccount":false,"sex":2},"owner_id":-30625332794,"text":"\x3cp>\x3cdiv id=\"attachment_75122\" style=\"width: 217px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\">\x3ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://i0.wp.com/www.politisite.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/bye.jpg\">\x3cimg src=\"http://mtdata.ru/u8/photo70FD/20977031643-0/original.jpg#20977031643\" alt=\"Goodbye Losers and Liars\" class=\"size-full wp-image-75122\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" />\x3c/a>\x3cp class=\"wp-caption-text\">Goodbye Losers and Liars\x3c/p>\x3c/div>People are falling all around Obama, and yet he continues to plod on. How and why are two important questions. Why does Obama stay while others who are merely players in his game, get the boot? Obama is clearly behind IRS scandal but so far has been stymied to the hilt and even called phony by the president himself! For years, Jay Carney continued to lie for Obama, at times turning red and sometimes blue in the face; only if he had those monitors in front of him like Obama did, could Carney have saved himself and blamed all the suckers who wrote things for the master puppeteer and his blind followers. \x3c/p>\n\x3cp>\x3ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/may/30/jay-carney-resigns-white-house-press-secretary/\">Washington Time\x3c/a>s reports: “Mr. Carney’s departure had been rumored for months. The former Time magazine reporter is the father of two young children and is married to ABC News reporter Claire Shipman. Prior to replacing White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, Mr. Carney served as the spokesman for Vice President Joseph R. Biden. Mr. Earnest, a native of Kansas City, Mo., worked on Michael Bloomberg’s first mayoral campaign in New York City before joining Mr. Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign as Iowa communications director. \x3c/p>\n\x3cp>While Mr. Carney has encountered increasing friction with journalists over the White House’s restrictions on access to Mr. Obama, the president predicted that reporters will enjoy working with Mr. Earnest! “He is of sound judgment and great temperament,” Mr. Obama said. “He is honest and full of integrity, and I’m sure you will at some point get frustrated with him as well. But it’s going to be hard because he’s a straight shooter and and a great guy.” \x3c/p>\n\x3cp>Really Mr President? Even the nation thought you were a great guy with the media solidly behind to prop you at all costs! So why do only Carney and Sebelius and Shinseki get to resign? This privilege should be extended to Obama and all in his administration! What difference do a few resignations make in the totality of lies of Obama’s administration? Nothing, zero, nada. This is a matter of systematic corruption, deception and lies. Jay Carney, Obama’s front for lying, left today, \x3ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/30/us-usa-politics-veterans-idUSKBN0EA19M20140530\">Eric Shinseki of VA scandal resigned\x3c/a> and before that health secretary Sebelius left. Many liars that remain belong to the Benghazi scandal: Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice and Obama. Another liar by the name of Holder is still safely enconsed under the umbrella of justice with Obama holding the umbrella of course. Could this be a sign of Obama-ship going down finally? \x3c/p>\n\x3cp>The post \x3ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"http://www.politisite.com/2014/05/30/obamas-turn/\">When Is It Obama’s Turn To Go?\x3c/a> appeared first on \x3ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"http://www.politisite.com\">PolitiSite\x3c/a>.\x3c/p>","comments_count":0,"marks_count":0,"likes":{"count":0,"user_likes":0,"can_like":0,"marks_pluses":0,"marks_minuses":0,"user_like_attr":null,"like_attr_ids":[]},"fame_actions_positive_count":0,"fame_actions_negative_count":0,"fame_actions":[],"url":"https://politisite.mirtesen.ru/blog/43581943806","tags":["IRS scandal","VA Scandal","ObamaCare","Obama","Jay Carney","White House"],"date":1401504057,"canEdit":false,"foreignPollId":null,"attachments":[{"photo":{"id":20977031643,"photo_original":"https://mtdata.ru/u8/photo70FD/20977031643-0/original.jpg","width":207,"height":155}}],"group":{"display_name":"Politisite","url":"https://politisite.mirtesen.ru","photo_original":"//olnl.net/u29/group14C3/b8ec4844baf4c9c675947990c9efb433-0/__logo.jpeg","id":30625332794,"canViewBlogPostCreator":false,"showSubscribersAmount":true,"is_subscribed":false,"is_member":false,"is_owner":false,"is_staff":false,"created":1402008963955},"canonical_url":"https://politisite.mirtesen.ru/blog/43581943806","topic":null,"title":"When Is It Obama’s Turn To Go?","preview_text":"Goodbye Losers and Liars People are falling all around Obama, and yet he continues to plod on. How and why are two important questions. Why does Obama stay while others who are merely players in his game, get the boot? Obama is clearly behind IRS scandal but so far has been stymied to the hilt and","post_type":"post","formattedDates":{"iso":"2014-05-31T02:40:57.000Z","ver1":"31 мая, 6:40","ver2":"31.05.2014 в 6:40","ver3":"31 мая, 6:40"},"images":[{"main":true,"url":"https://mtdata.ru/u8/photo70FD/20977031643-0/original.jpg","width":207,"height":155}],"videos":[],"shared_post":null,"mentionedPersons":null}],"tag":"VA Scandal","tagId":80223441001,"hasMore":true,"offset":1,"isGeo":false},"reasonsForShowing":{},"channelMain":{"items":[],"nextOffset":0,"hasMoreItems":true,"currentUserPostId":null,"page":0},"richPostEditor":{"id":null,"title":"","text":"","channel":null,"canSelectChannel":false,"canSubmit":false},"indexChannel":{"items":[],"nextOffset":0,"hasMoreItems":true},"videoList":{},"videoOne":{},"videoRecommendations":{},"channelActions":{},"testDraftJs":{},"channelEditor":{"channelId":null,"isMobile":false,"tab":"info","key":0,"isOpen":false,"isReady":true,"inProcess":false,"isDirty":false,"header":{"title":"","avatar":null},"info":{"id":null,"name":"","title":"","description":"","isNameAvailable":true,"errors":{}},"content":{"tags":[],"tagSuggestions":[],"geoTags":[],"geoTagSuggestions":[]},"telegramEdit":{"importKey":null,"name":"","tags":[],"tagSuggestions":[],"errors":{}},"telegramList":{"imports":[]}},"channelCoverEditor":{"isOpen":false,"mode":"add","imageSaved":false},"channelAvatarEditor":{"isOpen":false},"myChannels":{"channels":[],"subscriptions":{"items":[],"nextOffset":0,"hasMore":true,"subscriptionsNum":0}},"channelHeaderTags":{"isOpen":false,"searchResults":[],"geoTags":[],"tags":[],"searchInProccess":false,"geoPosition":null,"headerTags":[]},"searchResults":{"query":"","activeTab":"posts","isLoading":false,"posts":{"results":[],"page":0,"hasMore":true},"geo":{"results":[],"page":0,"hasMore":true},"channels":{"results":[],"page":0,"hasMore":true}}}
