Posted on Feb 18, 2016
Who has received exceptional care at the VA in your personal opinion?
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I have been following all the VA watchdog blogs, following the questions here on rally point , reading and instructing myself on the VA before and since my retirement.
I am going to state an unpopular opinion. I in my own case have felt I have received exceptional care from the VA. I ask questions of every provider, I have tried the different meds that they have recommended even though I expressed my concerns and in the long run I wish I would have received this same care for my Anxiety/PTSD I have been able to go from three different meds to one now I feel better than I have in ten years. Now I am working with them on my pain management. I have chosen to have the VA as my primary care . Be your own advocate
I am going to state an unpopular opinion. I in my own case have felt I have received exceptional care from the VA. I ask questions of every provider, I have tried the different meds that they have recommended even though I expressed my concerns and in the long run I wish I would have received this same care for my Anxiety/PTSD I have been able to go from three different meds to one now I feel better than I have in ten years. Now I am working with them on my pain management. I have chosen to have the VA as my primary care . Be your own advocate
Medical Board
Retirement
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Medical
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 20
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I couldn't agree more, and I have been saying the same thing since I began using VA facilities. In general the healthcare system is on par with any healthcare system/facilities that I've interacted with over my adult life. Now there are times when specialty care make take longer, but with the new VA Choice Option an individual can expedite the process if they are like you say "being their own best advocate".
I think some of the problem in my opinion comes from understanding "how" to be your own best advocate. Our generation was taught to get things checked out when it hurts so they didn't get worse, and adequate records exist to prove service-connected status, which aids getting the healthcare needs met. Previous generations were taught to "suck it up", which makes it much more difficult for the Veterans Administration to determine whether or not the injury/ailment was service-connected, which in turn effects the priority of treatment.
I think some of the problem in my opinion comes from understanding "how" to be your own best advocate. Our generation was taught to get things checked out when it hurts so they didn't get worse, and adequate records exist to prove service-connected status, which aids getting the healthcare needs met. Previous generations were taught to "suck it up", which makes it much more difficult for the Veterans Administration to determine whether or not the injury/ailment was service-connected, which in turn effects the priority of treatment.
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SFC Daniel Faires
Agree completely on that note I will see when I started my career I started in the USMC and GYSGT Escobedo gave me the best advice ever when I reported in to my unit
" keep a copy of everything, if you are broken let us know, we may talk smack ( that's the pg version of the conversation) but we will make sure you are ok, and we won't hold it against you". I taught that to my Soldiers as I grew through the ranks.
" keep a copy of everything, if you are broken let us know, we may talk smack ( that's the pg version of the conversation) but we will make sure you are ok, and we won't hold it against you". I taught that to my Soldiers as I grew through the ranks.
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I think the key to exceptional care at the VA is entirely dependent on the Primary Care Doctor/Nurse assigned to you. I have had several Nurses and Doctors as my Primary Care Provider at both Palo Alto CA & West Roxbury MA over the past 20 years. The Doctor I have now is excellent and providing me with very good care.
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I only had one brush with VA and it was a good one. When I first got tossed off AD in 86, I had no insurance, no job, and needed surgery. The only time delay was in getting that "Magic Card" of eligibility. So the surgery was done at VA Sepulveda (now long gone) by the Dean of Urology at UCLA. Funny thing that stuck with me. If you ever want to see the dead come back to life, it's Tuesday night bingo. It was always a stampede.
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