Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Obama Visits Phoenix VA Hospital, Says New Leadership 'Chipping Away' At Problems
Los Angeles Times: Obama Tours VA Hospital That Was Site Of Long Waits Linked To Deaths
Almost a year after ordering a massive shake-up of the Veterans Affairs Department, President Obama gave one troubled outpost a once-over Friday to see whether his massive staff housecleaning led to improvements. In a trip to the VA hospital in Phoenix, where a whistle-blower exposed the existence of waits so long that dozens of veterans may have died awaiting treatment, Obama declared that his new VA leadership was “chipping away at those problems.” (Parsons and Memoli, 3/13)
The New York Times: Progress Is Slow At V.A. Hospitals In Wake Of Crisis
The nation’s largest hospital system has made only halting progress in hiring new doctors, replacing incompetent supervisors, upgrading outdated computers and rebuilding trust with veterans, nine months after President Obama concluded that a “corrosive culture” had led to systemic problems at hospitals run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Now, patients, veterans groups and doctors say delays in receiving care are still common, and they accuse department officials of failing to provide opportunities to see private doctors. Critics, including Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill, say far too few senior managers have been held accountable for mismanagement at the hospital in Phoenix and at others around the country. (Shear and Philipps, 3/13)
The Washington Post: Obama Visits Phoenix VA Facility At Heart Of Scandal
President Obama’s visit to the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital that was the epicenter of last summer’s nationwide scandal highlighted the work that VA must still do to weed out incompetent executives and win back the confidence of veterans. ... The president pointed to signs of progress over the past nine months: More doctors have been hired, and waiting times have been cut at some VA facilities. But the focus of Obama’s visit to Phoenix was the problems that remain. The president talked about the need to continue improving mental health care and suicide prevention programs for veterans, as well as changing a culture in which veterans’ needs were too often ignored. (Jaffe, 3/13)
The Associated Press: Obama On VA: Much Yet To Do
Amid persistent complaints about veterans' health care, President Obama acknowledged lingering weaknesses Friday in the federal government's response to the chronic delays and false waiting lists that triggered a national outcry last year over the Veterans Affairs health system. Obama said that while VA Secretary Robert McDonald was "chipping away" at the problem, it was clear there was still more work to do. (Kuhnhenn and Hoffner, 3/14)
Fox News: VA Program To Provide Private Care Stumbling Out Of The Gate
A year after explosive accusations that patients had died waiting for appointments at the VA Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, the administration’s path to making health care more accessible for America’s veterans remains on shaky ground. (Vlahos, 3/15)
In related veterans' health news -
Los Angeles Times: VA Probing Whether Scopes Gave Patients Superbug Infections
Veterans Affairs Department officials are investigating whether patients have been exposed to antibiotic-resistant superbugs from tainted medical scopes in the wake of several hospital outbreaks. The VA said Friday it began looking into the possibility of patient infections in late February after a deadly outbreak was disclosed at UCLA's Ronald Reagan Medical Center. (Terhune, 3/13)
The Denver Post: Vets In Denver See Cuts In Caregiver Funds
The Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Denver has generated more appeals than any other VA hospital for denials of financial assistance to those caring for injured soldiers in their homes. The program, intended to help spouses and other relatives provide care to war veterans seriously hurt since 2001, has been growing rapidly nationwide. Yet the Denver hospital and its satellite offices in cities including military-heavy Colorado Springs have reduced the numbers of approved caregivers since May. (Olinger, 3/15)
