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VeTALKX: 2024 Veterans Town Hall. What Would You Ask the Secretary of Veterans Affairs?
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Thank you for posting your questions. We have reached capacity for this event.
VA experts will respond to your questions by November 30th.
Watch Secretary McDonough's Veterans Day Town Hall Broadcast on November 27th, 2024. Stay tuned for the link!
You can also ask questions to the following people:
» Melissa Comeau - Director, American Red Cross Military Veteran Caregiver Network
» RDML Ann Duff - Executive Director, Office of Survivors Assistance
» Sgt Christopher Vidaurre - Senior Program Manger, George W. Bush Institute
» PO3 Matthew "DOC" Campbell - Program Specialist, Partnerships Liaison, VEO
» Leah Christensen - Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support (SAMS)
» Veterans Affairs Caregiver Support Program
VA experts will respond to your questions by November 30th.
Watch Secretary McDonough's Veterans Day Town Hall Broadcast on November 27th, 2024. Stay tuned for the link!
You can also ask questions to the following people:
» Melissa Comeau - Director, American Red Cross Military Veteran Caregiver Network
» RDML Ann Duff - Executive Director, Office of Survivors Assistance
» Sgt Christopher Vidaurre - Senior Program Manger, George W. Bush Institute
» PO3 Matthew "DOC" Campbell - Program Specialist, Partnerships Liaison, VEO
» Leah Christensen - Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support (SAMS)
» Veterans Affairs Caregiver Support Program
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
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Responses: 201
Why are all of our appointments 4 or more months in the future? Were told we have to be rated at100% for many of these appts like dental and podiatry. Yet when we've appealed our disability ratings 4 or more times over 30 years and finally get the 100% rating, we still can't get these appts. What happened to the policy that if we couldn't be seen withing 30 days by a VA provider that we'd get a community care referral? It's not happening. When I specifically asked for a referral due to the lengthy appt. delay, I was refused. Wholistic health? We can't get dental care, yet we have a new dental clinic in Knoxville Tennessee. I'm told the VA has a hiring freeze. Why pay a lease and utilities on a building when it can't be staffed?
The VA is wasting humongous amounts on paper. For instance, 1 prescription comes with at least 6 pages of paper with our personal data printed on each page 5 times. Likewise, when we go to a community care appt, the facility receives mounds of paper with our personal information, a lot of which isn't even pertinent to that particular appt. Oftentimes, staff at the facility will discard most of the paperwork. So where does fraud, waste, and abuse come in? When Physical Therapy ordered me a special scrub device for my feet for the shower, I received scrub brushes that are used in the Operating Room, but they cant be returned. My particular brush had to be reordered, so more expense and delays. It doesn't make sense
The VA is wasting humongous amounts on paper. For instance, 1 prescription comes with at least 6 pages of paper with our personal data printed on each page 5 times. Likewise, when we go to a community care appt, the facility receives mounds of paper with our personal information, a lot of which isn't even pertinent to that particular appt. Oftentimes, staff at the facility will discard most of the paperwork. So where does fraud, waste, and abuse come in? When Physical Therapy ordered me a special scrub device for my feet for the shower, I received scrub brushes that are used in the Operating Room, but they cant be returned. My particular brush had to be reordered, so more expense and delays. It doesn't make sense
PO2 Jayden Williams
I am experiencing all of these same issues. Roadblocks to care. And especially the stress added to the worsening symptoms of health conditions while we’re forced to wait. I’ve also experienced physicians dismissing my health concerns without thought or consideration. Just an automatic rejection to the idea of it. It’s quite inhumane. Physicians dismissing patients symptoms for whatever reason they decide to use that day. For “high quality patient centered individualized healthcare”, they sure are stellar at applying rigid “standard practice” to every patient no matter their individual health status and background. I’ve also tried patient advocates (who worked more against me than with to solve the issues), the hotline as well (who the patient advocates kept claiming they are solving it w me. They were not). OIG, and government reps. Still waiting for appropriate action. Absurd we have to endure this after years of our lives dedicated to the government.
COL Randall C.
PO2 Jayden Williams - if you look at the upper-right of your post, response, etc. you'll see how long ago the item was created. When the item becomes older, then it more 'generic' timestamps are put on it (i.e., Posted >1 y ago, etc.).
If you're referring to the lack of a date on the main post itself, Sponsored Articles are treated differently than others and aren't 'timestamped' by the system.
If you're referring to the lack of a date on the main post itself, Sponsored Articles are treated differently than others and aren't 'timestamped' by the system.
PO2 Jayden Williams
COL Randall C. yea the generic 1 yr isnt a date. It’s atypical to read threads of different comments without the date time of reference.
My question is regarding VA/DoD Resource Sharing Agreements (RSA)* and their limitations and/or execution/understanding by VA physicians and the administrative staff.
Specific to my situation - why can't I take a radiology or laboratory order from a VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), which is co-located with a Military Treatment Facility (MTF), to the MTF's radiology/laboratory department to be fulfilled (especially if there is an existing sharing agreement between the CBOC and the MTF)? Instead, VA facilities must be used regardless if there is a delay or travel involved to use them.
Background:
In order to expand its capacity to provide outpatient primary care, the VHA has established approximately 1,400 CBOCs under the regional VAMC. Many of these CBOCs are co-located with a MTF and have an established RSA.
I don't know what the RSA covers for other facilities, but specific to my situation (I am assigned to the Washington VA Medical Center and see my primary care at the Fort Belvoir VA Clinic*) there might be a disconnect in execution.
The specific use case/example that I've experienced is I would see my VA Primary Care Manager (PCM) for a complaint. The PCM might order blood work and/or an X-Ray. My CBOC schedules all lab draws as the facilities are limited and those appointments are usually a few weeks in the future unless there was a cancelation. In order to have any radiology performed you must travel to the VA Medical Center (VAMC) the CBOC belongs to which for me is about an hour average travel.
In most cases I throw up my hands in frustration and go outside the VA system and/or use an urgent care facility.
The oddest part is that the MTF will do labs and radiology from outside physicians as long as I provide them with the order (I have TRICARE Select for my family, and they have had labs and x-rays performed numerous times by bringing in the provider's order). Every time I've requested an order from the VA provider or their staff, I've been informed that it's not possible and I must use the VA's resources.
I researched if there was a RSA in place and was able to see on the VA/DoD Medical Sharing Office (MSO) webpage* that one between the VA clinic and the Belvoir MTF had been established. Strangely, when I started sending inquiries to the MSO about the RSA (of which none were ever responded to), the list of established RSAs disappeared from online access.
As far as I can determine in my discussions with the clinic providers/staff and the VAMC patient advocate, the RSA only applies to the facility being present at the MTF, but no other resources at the MTF can be accessed (which doesn't match up with the information provided online about the RSAs).
-------------------------------
* VA/DoD Sharing Agreement - https://www.va.gov/VADODHEALTH/DoD_Sharing_with_VA.asp
* Fort Belvoir VA Clinic - https://www.va.gov/washington-dc-health-care/locations/fort-belvoir-va-clinic/
* VA/DoD Medical Sharing Office - https://www.va.gov/VADODHEALTH/Medical_Sharing.asp
Specific to my situation - why can't I take a radiology or laboratory order from a VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), which is co-located with a Military Treatment Facility (MTF), to the MTF's radiology/laboratory department to be fulfilled (especially if there is an existing sharing agreement between the CBOC and the MTF)? Instead, VA facilities must be used regardless if there is a delay or travel involved to use them.
Background:
In order to expand its capacity to provide outpatient primary care, the VHA has established approximately 1,400 CBOCs under the regional VAMC. Many of these CBOCs are co-located with a MTF and have an established RSA.
I don't know what the RSA covers for other facilities, but specific to my situation (I am assigned to the Washington VA Medical Center and see my primary care at the Fort Belvoir VA Clinic*) there might be a disconnect in execution.
The specific use case/example that I've experienced is I would see my VA Primary Care Manager (PCM) for a complaint. The PCM might order blood work and/or an X-Ray. My CBOC schedules all lab draws as the facilities are limited and those appointments are usually a few weeks in the future unless there was a cancelation. In order to have any radiology performed you must travel to the VA Medical Center (VAMC) the CBOC belongs to which for me is about an hour average travel.
In most cases I throw up my hands in frustration and go outside the VA system and/or use an urgent care facility.
The oddest part is that the MTF will do labs and radiology from outside physicians as long as I provide them with the order (I have TRICARE Select for my family, and they have had labs and x-rays performed numerous times by bringing in the provider's order). Every time I've requested an order from the VA provider or their staff, I've been informed that it's not possible and I must use the VA's resources.
I researched if there was a RSA in place and was able to see on the VA/DoD Medical Sharing Office (MSO) webpage* that one between the VA clinic and the Belvoir MTF had been established. Strangely, when I started sending inquiries to the MSO about the RSA (of which none were ever responded to), the list of established RSAs disappeared from online access.
As far as I can determine in my discussions with the clinic providers/staff and the VAMC patient advocate, the RSA only applies to the facility being present at the MTF, but no other resources at the MTF can be accessed (which doesn't match up with the information provided online about the RSAs).
-------------------------------
* VA/DoD Sharing Agreement - https://www.va.gov/VADODHEALTH/DoD_Sharing_with_VA.asp
* Fort Belvoir VA Clinic - https://www.va.gov/washington-dc-health-care/locations/fort-belvoir-va-clinic/
* VA/DoD Medical Sharing Office - https://www.va.gov/VADODHEALTH/Medical_Sharing.asp
Apply for and manage the VA benefits and services you’ve earned as a Veteran, Servicemember, or family member—like health care, disability, education, and more.
LTC Alea Morningstar
The MTF and the V.A. do not communicate with each other at all. Here in Hawaii they are connected buildings! I have no way to find out labs and PET scan results because the MTF doc they sent me to doesn't have any way to place them in my VA online chart. Ridiculous! And since I'm not AD, I cannot have anything online at the MTF either. But, since I'm a retired doc, he courtesy emailed the results. I had to wait over a week for results of a cancer scan, not knowing if it spread---when the results take 24 hours MAX. Regular V.A. folks? Will have to wait for a follow up appointment--even longer! Inexcusable. These all need to be connected electronically to speed up treatment, results, and keep vets from waiting so long cancer spreads. (Yes, my case)
COL Randall C.
LTC Alea Morningstar - It's taking a lot longer than anyone likes (ESPECIALLY the patients), but the modernization of the Electronic Health Records is moving along .. at a turtle's pace.
According to the VA's numbers, it's only been rolled out to 6 (of 170) VAMCs and the associated clinics.
https://digital.va.gov/ehr-modernization/
According to the VA's numbers, it's only been rolled out to 6 (of 170) VAMCs and the associated clinics.
https://digital.va.gov/ehr-modernization/
VA is transitioning to a new electronic health record (EHR) system — the software that stores health information and tracks all aspects of patient care.
SGT Terry Lewey
There is outpatient recreation therapist in A LOT of VAs. Iowa City does NOT have one. I have to go to Des Moines to attend practices and The Golden Age Games every year. I don't get travel pay either. Why can't Iowa City have one? We're a pretty good sized VA, no?
SGT Terry Lewey
Why do obese spouses have to get the drastic bypass surgery!? They're federally passed drugs that deal with weight loss plus they're not allowed to join the MOVE program. So how is all this cost effective or is concerned with patient safety? I've brought this up many times before...
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