How do you rate your medical care (Decimals OK) of your V. A. facility and why?

Cpl Vic Burk — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 18:32:11 -0500

I am asking this as kind of a survey. On another forum I subscribe to there is a lot of complaining about the V. A.'s medical care.
I give my V. A. Medical Center a 9.8. I have had an overall excellent experience with them. They are very conducive to my schedule as a teacher and try to schedule my appointment as late in the afternoon whenever possible. Only once have I ever seen someone who I truly felt didn't give a crap. She was not my primary care, I was thrown in with her at the last minute when my PCP couldn't make it in that day.
Being at school to teach my students (especially a subject like math) is very important to me and I don't take off unless I absolutely have to. Once I put in for the day, I am stuck with it because they got a substitute scheduled already. At my current district I have missed on seven days in the last twelve years. Only one was for personal reasons, the rest for V. A. appointment that they had to have me there first thing in the morning.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jan 24 at 2021 6:45 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 18:45:17 -0500

9.5. I am so happy with my level of service that I have written glowing remarks on comment cards.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 24 at 2021 8:45 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 20:45:25 -0500

Glad someone is happy. Trying to get meds on time before running out is really difficult. Just sucks.

Response by SPC Kenneth James made Jan 24 at 2021 8:54 PM

SPC Kenneth James — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 20:54:46 -0500

Once you get past the fact that you are absolutely not the only veteran to go there it is everything you need I mean I went to the va hospital in Lebanon pa for drug rehabilitation in 1992 and I have been clean and sober and a productive member of society for last 28 years they even allowed me to work for them for 6 years after all of that and I been to quite a few and now as I am getting older and have a great career as a truck driver instructor they still never turn me down for anything accept dental but they give me my blood pressure medication and the little blue pill lol for free so what the hell can I complain about I use the va not for money or things I don't need I have young soldiers that need that but I will take the free medicine besides do you have any idea how much viagra cost lol

Response by SGT Chris Padgett made Jan 25 at 2021 2:37 AM

SGT Chris Padgett — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 02:37:05 -0500

I'd happily give the Cincinnati VAMC a perfect 10, prior to COVID.
Now, not so much.
I haven't seen a doctor in nearly a year. I have some heart issues, so that has me worried.
In addition, I had a really serious issue as COVID was becoming a thing. It was if everything we had planed out no longer mattered and I was just cut loose and good luck.
The next issue is, I am rated with hearing loss. My doctors all know this. They continue to want to have these online virtual visits that always end up with me telling them I have no idea what they are saying.
So they've resorted to using that stupid secure messaging thing on MyHealthEVet.
It has taken days for things to be resolved.
So for now, I'm going to give them a 5 and most of that is due to past reputation.
I hope things get back to the standard they used to hold.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 25 at 2021 6:53 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 06:53:23 -0500

Can laughing count as a number

I went to the ER once and they forgot I was in an exam room

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made Jan 25 at 2021 9:54 AM

SSgt Christophe Murphy — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 09:54:50 -0500

It is all relative to the employees at the respective facility and the employee culture there. I have been out since 2012 and have received services in two different States. My experience has varied but it falls on the Hospital Staff. I currently live in Mid Missouri and the Columbia VA has been a major improvement from what I was accustomed to when I lived in San Diego. The San Diego VA was horrible. Whether I am discussing the La Jolla main Hospital, The Mission Valley location or the clinic in Escondido it was a crap experience and it was mainly because of the employees.

Response by SN Jeffrey White made Jan 25 at 2021 10:18 AM

SN Jeffrey White — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 10:18:47 -0500

here in NC I am on community care. I give the VA, on a scale of 1 to 10, ZERO. Maybe negative. Its slow, and often doesn't respond at all. When I was in the Boston area for a year I would give the VA an 11 or 12. Though I cant be sure, I think the issue is funding. Boston being very heavily populated, they probably get a lot more money than NC/