VA Has Been ‘Hemorrhaging’ Career Officials And Doctors For Months As Chaos Ripples Throughout Agency
“I’ve never known the enthusiastic mass exodus of an organization’s most knowledgeable and experienced personnel to be an indication that all is well," said John Hoellwarth, a spokesman for Amvets. The VA has been struggling with its leadership at the same time there's been a push to move toward privatization, and the officials on the ground are overwhelmed and understaffed.
The New York Times:
V.A. Medical System Staggers As Chaos Engulfs Its Leadership
At first, it was one doctor quitting the tiny Ukiah Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Northern California. Then another left, and another, until of the five doctors there a year ago, only one remained. The Veterans Choice Act, passed by Congress amid scandalous stories of hidden waiting lists at Veterans Affairs hospitals, allowed more veterans to get care from private providers, but it created an avalanche of paper at Veterans Affairs facilities as outside doctors sent in information on patients. Veterans Affairs doctors had to enter so many medical records manually into the aging department health records system that it crippled their ability to see patients. (Philipps and Fandos, 5/4)
In other news —
The Baltimore Sun:
Baltimore VA Hospital Hosts Baby Shower For Veterans Who Are Expectant Or New Mothers
One sign of the changing demographics of veterans could be seen this past weekend on the second floor of the Baltimore VA Medical Center on Greene Street: a baby shower. Dozens of new and expectant mothers played games and listened to speakers Saturday afternoon amid pink and blue balloons, gift bags and birthday cake. The gathering celebrated the birth of 56 babies born to local female veterans over the last year, and also served to raise awareness of an emerging field of services offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, designed to cater to women who have served in the military. (Rentz, 5/5)
