George Bush....Obama warned about VA wait-time problems during 2008 transition..

[yota691]

Obama warned about VA wait-time problems during 2008 transition

By  Jim McElhatton
The Washington Times

The Obama administration received clear notice more than five years ago that VA medical facilities were reporting inaccurate waiting times and experiencing scheduling failures that threatened to deny veterans timely health care — problems that have turned into a growing scandal.

Veterans Affairs officials warned the Obama-Biden transition team in the weeks after the 2008 presidential election that the department shouldn’t trust the wait times that its facilities were reporting.

“This is not only a data integrity issue in which [Veterans Health Administration] reports unreliable performance data; it affects quality of care by delaying — and potentially denying — deserving veterans timely care,” the officials wrote.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki told Congress he will stay on despite growing calls for his resignation. Mr. Shinseki, a disabled veteran, has headed the department since the beginning of President Obama’s first term, when the VA’s report identified many of the problems the department has yet to fix. (Associated Press)

The briefing materials, obtained by The Washington Times through the Freedom of Information Act, make clear that the problems existed well before Mr. Obama took office, dating back at least to the Bush administration. But the materials raise questions about what actions the department took since 2009 to remedy the problems.

In recent months, reports have surfaced about secret wait lists at facilities across the country and, in the case of a Phoenix VA facility, accusations that officials cooked the books to try to hide long wait times. Some families said veterans died while on a secret wait list at the Phoenix facility.

Last week, Dr. Robert Petzel, undersecretary for health in the Department of Veterans Affairs, resigned. His boss, Secretary Eric K. Shinseki, told Congress he will stay despite growing calls for his resignation.

Mr. Shinseki, a disabled veteran, has headed the department since the beginning of Mr. Obama’s first term, when the VA report identified many of the problems.

“Should they have known? Absolutely, they should have known,” said Deirdre Parke Holleman, executive director of the Washington office for the Retired Enlisted Association, a veterans group, which has not taken a position on whether Mr. Shinseki should resign. “These are problems that should have been dealt with.”

SEE ALSO: McCain blasts Obama administration over VA scandal

In particular, the 2008 transition report referred to a VA inspector general recommendation to test the accuracy of reported waiting times.

Such tests, the report noted, could prompt action if results reveal “questionable differences” between the dates shown in medical records and dates in the Veterans Health Administration’s scheduling system. It’s unclear whether that recommendation was adopted because VA officials have not responded to request for comment.

In Phoenix, officials are looking into whether as many as 40 veterans died while waiting for treatment, with “secret wait lists” used to conceal the delays. Speaking in the Republicans’ weekly address over the weekend, Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, said the scandal began in his home state but it has since “gone nationwide.”

“Altogether, similar reports of lengthy waiting lists and other issues have surfaced in at least 10 states,” he said.

Acting VA Inspector General Richard J. Griffin told Congress last week that his office has opened multiple investigations into “reports of manipulated waiting times” in Phoenix as at other facilities.

He said his investigation also aims to find out whether officials in Phoenix purposely left off the names of veterans waiting for care on electronic waiting lists and, if so, whether any veterans died because of the delays in care.

Problems with electronic waiting lists also merited mention in the presidential briefing report.

“Audits of outpatient scheduling and patient waiting times completed since 2005 have identified noncompliance with the policies and procedures for scheduling, inaccurate reporting of patient waiting times and errors in [electronic waiting lists],” the briefing papers state.

Briefing reports typically are prepared by career federal employees before a change in power, giving incoming administrations detailed looks at agency operations. The VA report notes that little was done to address the problems surrounding scheduling and wait time accuracy during the George W. Bush administration.

“Although VHA has recognized the need to improve scheduling practices and the accuracy of wait times data, no meaningful action has been taken to achieve this goal today,” officials wrote.

In fact, officials added, nine recommendations arising from inspector general audits from 2005 to 2007 were not implemented by 2008 when officials prepared the report for the incoming administration.

Jim Nicholson, who served as VA secretary during the latter half of the Bush administration, could not be reached for comment.

The briefing materials do not reveal any concerns about outright fraud in manipulating waiting times, but they make repeated references in summarizing past audits and reviews about data accuracy.

“This report and prior reports indicate that the problems and causes associated with scheduling, waiting times and wait lists are systemic throughout the VHA,” officials told the incoming administration.

Testifying to Congress last week, Mr. Shinseki said most veterans are satisfied with their health care, “but we must do more toimprove the timely access to that care.”

The American Legion has called on Mr. Shinseki and Allison Hickey, VA undersecretary for benefits, to resign.

“They are both part of VA’s leadership problem,” American Legion Commander Daniel Dellinger said in a statement Friday. “This isn’t personal. VA needs a fundamental shift in leadership if it is to defeat its systematic lack of accountability.”

 

[DinarMillionaire]

Obama couldn't manage a corner store. If we can keep the liberal left from rewriting history, Obama will go down as the worst POS president in American history. Carter loves Obama. The only thing I can figure is... losers love company that's the only reason anyone would still love Obama.

[Rayzur]

My OX, (himself an Admiral) and I have been doing lots of road time the past 5 days cleaning up some mission details..... So of course while on the road, we talked about some of the current issues (solving them of course... if they'd only listen... ) and this is one we drilled down on, just today... We were trying to figure out, and actually did not figure out,)  why the country (press, legislators, etc) seems so hellll bent on focusing upon everything BUT the real issue... 

First, the President runs a country not an agency.... whether Bush, or Obama, they are the President. They are not the authority running the agency.... which is wayyyyy below where they need to fly..... And if a President IS that intricately involved in the management of an agency instead of command of a country... we are Skay rooed.... . 

 

The majority of the current issues plaguing the VA, lies at the feet of Congress. And some of the most vocal dill weeds screaming for the head of the President, are themselves, the guilty curs who command  the power to make it different...The Congressional majority is playing this sick game, that's almost psychopath ..... and we were trying to figure out if a) the media, etc people were afraid to tell the truth about the game.... b )  were too stupid to recognize there is a game, c) embraced mediocrity as the foundation of their laziness and didn't really care one way or the other....

 

Bottom line is quite simple, you can fire as many people as you want to fire, including the President, ... and it will not change what is happening.

Until you fund... dedicate the money.... appropriate fiscal resources.... to adequately address the HUGE increase of veterans, who at the same time are presenting with very serious, high cost injuries, in greater numbers than ever before..... You will NOT be able to adequately treat these numbers...

 

Its as if, Congress passed a budget to feed 100 people knowing full well that 2000 mal-nourished skeletons were showing up..... And then instead of allocating sufficient resource to deal with the problem and feed more people at higher risk... ... Congress hits the crack pipe and starts blaming the agency head, or President for the failure.... What kind of bulll sheet game is that?? I mean really?? Have you guys lost ALL reason., or is being re-elected or holding on to your party power base THE most important thing in your world??   

 

And hey, honestly, if Congress is of the position that they do not want to appropriate the money every dumb azzz idiot who can add, knows is necessary.... if Congress is saying no, we don't have the money or want to spend the money..... Then at least have the stones to be honest about it... Stop fricking playing me... 

 

So Bush people who did nothing for the vets, told Obama people there was a problem, and they have done nothing... So frickin what?!?!? Congress is the responsible party... So why do people even go there with a President??? Its almost as if its by design we get derailed into jousting with windmills and the sick pukes in Congress keep playing us and their games of blame in order to continue doing nothing...

 

Obama is going to go away, just as Bush went away.,.... and the problem will remain until we target the congressional idiots who are the real power base able to change and solve the problems of the VA game they play... ...

Edited May 20, 2014 by Rayzur

[Sentinel7]

And this weekend you did what to help solve the problem ?

 

 

     No Surrender No Retreat and No Compromise

[429]

Well said Rayzur.

This isn't much different from wait times that I/we experienced when on Active Duty and working through the Military Medical System. As a retiree, I understood when I was pushed into the civilian medical world instead of being able to use my military benefits - hey, there was a war going on and the resources needed to go to the active duty troops. That's a "no-brainer."

Congress has failed to allocate the requisite funding. The military failed to adequately predict the number of veterans who would require ongoing care and advise Congress. So there's another question - did the military hierarchy downplay the number and types of casualties they would experience? 

The military medical folks have made great strides in saving folks with significant injuries - it's one of those realities of war. Military Medicine made great strides in every major war figuring out how to save more people with significant injuries and that, on one hand is tragic that these folks were injured, but awesome that they made such advances. 

But to take it a step further, this is Socialized Medicine. This is where the Socialist States are, where Europe is, where Canada hangs out. This is where the Affordable Healthcare Act is taking us. This is our future unless we change.

[Sentinel7]

Sorry Rayzur

  I see you were active this weekend trying to save American Vets by finding a way to filter out repetitive gratitude

                                            

                                           No Surrender No Retreat and No Compromise

 

[stealthwarrior]

Poor communication will kill you every time.

[DinarDiva007]

no Carter loves Obama because he finally has someone worse than him

[FlintNPebbles]

Thank you Rayzur.  Very well said.

[Rayzur]

And this weekend you did what to help solve the problem ?

 

 

     No Surrender No Retreat and No Compromise

 

I'm hoping your question is genuine as was I in wishing you a safe journey to Washington,... and you're not asking out of some smug rhetorical place...

Lets see, on Wed I had an invasive spine intervention on 4 levels, and subsequently came into DV and posted impaired ramblings, with some pretty great people who cut me some slack and stayed engaged recognizing we were all in with heart versus being  dill heads... ... Went back into service the next day with my XO and over 1000s of miles we mission prepped and engaged some completion... and then.. (and despite recent back "surgery"), on the weekend... in two days, my XO and I along with 2 others began and completed packing up and physically moving  to staging in the back..... an entire 5 bedroom house for a career military buddy on my team..  who experienced a sudden event and is going home to Colorado Springs to die. Throughout my career there were times  I have ordered team people to live as they were dying.. I'm not sure it will work this time though I and the team are not giving up... And still we did what had to be done "just in case" she becomes the first of us on the team to die from the impact of war...Some of the office staff drove in to see her... and seeing me and my XO from behind, thought we were the moving people... They were speechless that the old guys in charge were doing the heavy lifting... And somewhere in this, I got hit in the face with a table falling down a flight of stairs... I think it finally broke that back tooth of mine that blew up years ago, mid air, while on a mission... I'm guessing that as the gum is oozing blood and "stuff".... So I'm putting healing oil on it I got in Central America..(copal) until I can get to my guy to look at it... Taking quick break now while eating for the day in coming onto DV to check in... Maybe I'll get back in here tonight... who knows... we're on a dead run and DV is my way of pacing that to some degree... I'm not really old... and I'm not 21 either...... My XO paces by going to sleep at 8:30pm ... I do it throughout the day....

 

And at the end of the day, measuring one's life contribution of service against one weekend of participation in an event which history will have to judge regarding any real impact (given there was no demonstrable impact evident at this time).... is I guess one way to judge another.... I'm just not sure it's the most meaningful way..... And any smidge of smug attached to that judgment is horribly presumptions as to what is THE most important thing a person can any given day in making a difference in the lives of others....

 

And lest there ever be any confusion... I will always... always with out equivocation, do whatever it takes to support the people on my team, which in turn give their lives in serving this country... and I will always choose that agenda over the agenda anyone else feels they need to pencil in for me, in my service.... And that is the cornerstone of a known reputation of which I am proud..... .

 

Gear up and do what you think you need to do in your life.... G-d Bless you...

And.....

Know your audience.....      .. 

Edited May 20, 2014 by Rayzur

[SnowGlobe7]

And this weekend you did what to help solve the problem ?

 

 

     No Surrender No Retreat and No Compromise

 

and after reading that...what did you do Sentinel7?