Waaaaaay off- topic... VA experience

[Scalded Dog]

I've gone for the last time. I used to like the VA... decent experience, decent service, good docs, etc.

But the last few times I've gone (over the past five years or so), it's been bad. Last night was the worst.

Went in for a foot injury... might be broken. Waited three hours to be seen, then was told to wait some more.

I waited for another couple of hours, before I started hearing people around the crowded, hot waiting room discussing how long they'd been there. Some had been sitting there waiting for eight f'n hours, with not a glimmer of hope in sight.

There were amputees that were older than dirt... there were young people hacking and throwing up. There were wheelchairs and IV bags and people sleeping. Homeless people would wander in occasionally, and one was dragged out by police after she became belligerent. There were war heroes and freshly discharged barracks rats.

Every now and then, a raspy- voiced woman would emerge from an office and holler, "Turner! Turner! Turner! Turner! Is there a Turner? Turner! Turner! Turner!" Generally, other patients would let her know something like, "Turner left five hours ago... he's gone." But she would not hear anything of that, and would spend the next 30 to 40 minutes occasionally calling out for "Turner!" before retreating to her closed- door office again, to wait for Turner to show up.

However, apparently, 40 minutes is as long as they wait for no- shows, because then it would start over again: "Perkins! Perkins! Perkins! Perkins! Perkins! Is there a Perkins? Perkins! Perkins! Perkins!" Again, others would say, "Ol' Perkins left early this afternoon... not coming back. He went over to a hospital." But would she move on the next patient? Of course not. For the next 30 to 40 minutes, all we'd hear about was Perkins. It was like a bad episode of "The Simpsons," only not funny, and with lots of sick and injured veterans around.

My condition was not as bad as most... and, not having any combat injuries to ail me, I feel like a much less deserving patient than some of those who gave a LOT more to this country... but they still get treated like dog shit in the VA waiting room.

After five hours, and after realizing that the eight- hour- crowd wasn't looking likely to be seen any time this month, I bailed. I'll live with my foot injury... maybe it's broken, maybe it's sprained. No way to know, because I damn sure don't have the time that the VA hospital seems to have.

[ssrs2lt]

Yeah the va really fluctuate in quality.. I've had many friends bail like those in the waiting room.. I was forced to sign up, but I'm still on active duty. I was in las Angeles working next to the va.. I saw the va dumping vets into the streets .. I was like wtf.. It's still a broken system.. Hopefully your foot heals.. Peace on ya

[RubyCamaro]

No excuse for such as that. Sorry you had to go through that. Hope you get your needs met appropriately somewhere. Thank you for your service.

[Ryanbabz71]

What VA was this? My wife is a PT at the VA here in Indy. There's isn't close to being this bad.


Ryan

[2010abmss]

I'm still active but they tell us to go on base to the urgent care for after hours care. My 3 year old son was really sick one night and I drove him to the urgent care on base which is about 30 min from my house and we get there around 9:30 and there was about 10 people in there and the guy at the front desk told me there would be about a 10-14 hr wait!!! I about crapped myself. So we ended up leaving and going to the ER and waited 20 min to be seen!! I feel bad for you guys that is terrible the way they treat Vets. There is no excuse for it.

[Spartan01]

It is tragic,
I used to go to the Baltimore VA ER for treatment, it used to be a pretty good hospital, now it is so gross you want to burn you clothes and bleach your skin after being seen...

[Bulldog3071]

That is just horrible and a Marine it just pisses me off. Our elected officials most of which have never served a day in their life get the best care and a full pension for just serving one term. I served 6 years and get nothing. The first order of business with the national budget should be the military to get all the funds they need and along with the VA then any money left over goes to fund all the other budgets. It seems like the sick, lame and lazy get more then our vets do. Thanks for your service. Semper Fi

[Spartan01]

Originally Posted by Bulldog3071

That is just horrible and a Marine it just pisses me off. Our elected officials most of which have never served a day in their life get the best care and a full pension for just serving one term. I served 6 years and get nothing. The first order of business with the national budget should be the military to get all the funds they need and along with the VA then any money left over goes to fund all the other budgets. It seems like the sick, lame and lazy get more then our vets do. Thanks for your service. Semper Fi

THIS^^^^^!!!!
(With one small caveat)

Our children and our soldiers should be our priorities...

Raise and educate our children well, pay teachers better, fund schools better, flood money into music, art, reading, life skills, mental reasoning classes. Our children our the future of this country.

Then, also just as important, take care of our soldiers. This is simply inspiring brand loyalty, a basic marketing strategy. Take good care of them (us) and prove that this country is strong, and will stay strong.

The British SAS has a unique approach- when a member is critically injured and can no longer be an active member, they are retired, then brought back (if they choose,) as an instructor. According to Andy McNab, this serves two distinct purposes;
1.) Why waste all that knowledge? They may not be able to deploy with the teams but they can certainly work as an instructor or admin capacity.
2.) This serves as a reminder to rookies and veterans alike- this is not a game, the slightest mistake, or moment of inattention can result in permanent disfigurement, and or injury. This helps to weed out those who do not really want the life, and helps to bolster those who do.

[mpiersd]

Originally Posted by Spartan01

THIS^^^^^!!!!
(With one small caveat)

Our children and our soldiers should be our priorities...

Raise and educate our children well, pay teachers better, fund schools better, flood money into music, art, reading, life skills, mental reasoning classes. Our children our the future of this country.

Then, also just as important, take care of our soldiers. This is simply inspiring brand loyalty, a basic marketing strategy. Take good care of them (us) and prove that this country is strong, and will stay strong.

The British SAS has a unique approach- when a member is critically injured and can no longer be an active member, they are retired, then brought back (if they choose,) as an instructor. According to Andy McNab, this serves two distinct purposes;
1.) Why waste all that knowledge? They may not be able to deploy with the teams but they can certainly work as an instructor or admin capacity.
2.) This serves as a reminder to rookies and veterans alike- this is not a game, the slightest mistake, or moment of inattention can result in permanent disfigurement, and or injury. This helps to weed out those who do not really want the life, and helps to bolster those who do.

Well said! And I like how the Brits do it.

[Spartan01]

Originally Posted by mpiersd

Well said! And I like how the Brits do it.

Why thank you sir.

By investing in our children, we are investing in our future.

By investing in our soldiers, we are guaranteeing our future.

[Blk-Ice]

The best thing the VA did was get rid of Shitsucker, I mean Shinseki.....the VA wasn't the greatest before him, but it really went down hill after he took over! It's sad but they really do have a long way to go before things have gotten to where they should be for Vets.

[MagnumForceGB]

See if you can contact your representatives, if they can get free TV time they will shine a light on that manager which is what Feds hate.

The VA hospital in Oklahoma City is actually good finally, the only wait time I have now is 3 months for a Retina specialist for my eyes. Seeing primary care last time only took 2 weeks, huge improvement over the 2 months a few years ago.

Still haven't figured out if these cards they sent us can be used in emergency rooms though.

[Spartan01]

Yeah he was an A$$!
He is the one who instituted the collosally STUPID idea of giving everyone a beret.

First of all, traditionally, at least in the US military, the beret meant some kind of distinction of elite status, i.e. Green for Special forces, Black for Rangers, maroon for Airborne, Red for Air Force Combat Control.

So, then why break with tradition and give everyone a beret?
They look so stupid if everyone has them.
They require maintenance and form fitting.
They don't keep you warm.
Almost every pi$$ant army all over the globe, including the Iraqi's wears a beret-
see how dumb they look unless only a select few get them?

[Scalded Dog]

Many thanks for the understanding comments and the well wishes. My thanks back to those who served, as well.

I feel a little out of line for complaining, without offering a solution, but it will require smarter people than I to repair this broken system.