VA Health Care should be the gold standard of best practices. How has the bureaucracy gone so far astray? I remember as a young girl driving - early 1960's - with my grandfather for his doctor's appointments to the Phoenix VA. He had implicit unshakable trust in that health care system. Those doctors walked on water and he was grateful to have them.
I spent two and a half years working for the VA as a research Study Therapist. My time there was wonderful. I am now friends with many of those co-workers. My supervisor was the best guy; a smart clinician, successful grant writer, and all around great human being. Our support system of administrators -schedulers, secretaries, data analysts - had a collective abundance education under their belt. They were all outstanding and in it for the right reasons. We worked hard for the client (aka patient, Veteran).
Surely, the white house will ever call me or any of my colleagues, or for that matter, a Veteran on the receiving end of this care - for advice on how to fix a broken system, but if they did, I'd have my polled aggregate list ready.
- "More accountability of VA employees."
Paul D., US Army, Combat Vietnam War Veteran
- "Allow Retired Veterans to receive care at any local military hospital. We shouldn't have to drive 600 miles for a necessary surgery." Mike M, Combat Vietnam Veteran
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| Daniel E. Veteran, US Navy |
- "Personally, I think Veterans should be able to see a therapist of their choice for as long as they want. I especially think Vietnam Vets should be able to see someone weekly until they die if they want....call it reparations." Bridgett, Clinical Psychologist and research Study Therapist.
- "Allow a Veteran to use any mental health counselor that they can find. Licensed Clinicians are already vetted, for God's sake. They are licensed and treat minor to grave psychological issues every single day. This would also allow the Veteran to bring in his wife or children as it pertains to his/her mental health counseling, which results in great positive benefits!" Christina N, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
- "Enlist volunteer Vets to help process VA claims backlog." Tom T, Combat Vietnam Veteran