DEAD VET: I AIN'T GOIN' IN THERE, YER CRAZY OL' COOT - I COULD MISS MY APPOINTMENT WITH MY V.A. DOC! TINY MAN: HEAVEN AND APPOINTMENTS CAN WAIT - SO CAN YOU!
perhaps some of the administrators at the VA are inept (or something), but V A in Johnson City TN is top-notch, as isthe clinic in Knoxville…the doctors and nurses are dedicated people…it is the administration that needs looking at.
The GOP filibustered a bill earlier to increase funding to take care of some of the problems, couldn’t find offset! Never had trouble finding funds to go to war however. Could make Big Oil pay royalties on gas and oil they take from Federal (us taxpayers) lands, but EVERY GOP Rep. voted against it!
An interesting article, but the austerity it describes is at the state and local level. The VA is federally funded. Additionally, I’m not sure I would consider reductions of employment at the state and local level anything more than a single indicator of austerity, if there is such a thing.
Stopped by my VA remote “mobile” clinic today, they’ve done well by us, and I need to call the clinic 100 miles away for my appointment for my annual, in the next couple weeks to get my lab work caught up. They do the draws here so we don’t have to make the 200 mile round trip. Also found out that after two years, they’re finally back to full staff having been down 2-3 positions for a long time.
VA does still have problems, but actually, no more than any other bureaucracy in “private” medicine where big corporations and insurance companies control care, and profits rule.
P.S. Just got a call back from VA. They’ve scheduled for me to get my labs drawn next week here in my town. My “provider” won’t be coming back over with the “mobile clinic” ‘til October, but I CAN get an appointment to make the 100 mile trip to the “full” clinic, and see her right after the labs come back if I need to. That is the way it works here, and it’s still a staffing issue, but the point is, if I can travel, they’ll take care of me sooner than I can get appointments with my local doctor! That ain’t bad.
woodwork almost 10 years ago
perhaps some of the administrators at the VA are inept (or something), but V A in Johnson City TN is top-notch, as isthe clinic in Knoxville…the doctors and nurses are dedicated people…it is the administration that needs looking at.
griffthegreat almost 10 years ago
The GOP filibustered a bill earlier to increase funding to take care of some of the problems, couldn’t find offset! Never had trouble finding funds to go to war however. Could make Big Oil pay royalties on gas and oil they take from Federal (us taxpayers) lands, but EVERY GOP Rep. voted against it!
curtisls87 almost 10 years ago
An interesting article, but the austerity it describes is at the state and local level. The VA is federally funded. Additionally, I’m not sure I would consider reductions of employment at the state and local level anything more than a single indicator of austerity, if there is such a thing.
Dtroutma almost 10 years ago
Stopped by my VA remote “mobile” clinic today, they’ve done well by us, and I need to call the clinic 100 miles away for my appointment for my annual, in the next couple weeks to get my lab work caught up. They do the draws here so we don’t have to make the 200 mile round trip. Also found out that after two years, they’re finally back to full staff having been down 2-3 positions for a long time.
VA does still have problems, but actually, no more than any other bureaucracy in “private” medicine where big corporations and insurance companies control care, and profits rule.
Dtroutma almost 10 years ago
P.S. Just got a call back from VA. They’ve scheduled for me to get my labs drawn next week here in my town. My “provider” won’t be coming back over with the “mobile clinic” ‘til October, but I CAN get an appointment to make the 100 mile trip to the “full” clinic, and see her right after the labs come back if I need to. That is the way it works here, and it’s still a staffing issue, but the point is, if I can travel, they’ll take care of me sooner than I can get appointments with my local doctor! That ain’t bad.