by Sarah Schauerte*
It’s official. The Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”), Eric Shinseki, resigned today amidst the VA health care scandal. This followed a face-to-face meeting with President Obama about mounting evidence of widespread misconduct and mismanagement at the VA’s vast network of medical facilities.
Shinseki had said for weeks that he wanted to stay in his job to confront accusations that officials at the department’s hospitals had manipulated waiting lists to cover up long delays in scheduling appointments for thousands of veterans. In a recent testimony before Congress, Shinseki also discussed taking action to address the misconduct once a pending report on the wait times and scheduling practices at the Phoenix Health Care System by the VA’s Office of Inspector General (“VA OIG”) was received.
In a speech last Friday morning to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, Shinseki apologized and described his agency as having “a systemic, totally unacceptable lack of integrity.” He vowed to fix what he called a “breach of integrity” and said he had already initiated the firing of top managers at the VA medical center in Phoenix, where allegations of mismanagement first surfaced.
Then, however, came the interim report by the VA OIG (the “Report”).
The report notes that since 2005, the VA OIG has issued 18 reports that identified, at both the national and local levels, deficiencies in scheduling resulting in lengthy waiting times and the negative impact on patient care.
The full Report can be accessed here. It identified serious conditions at the Phoenix healthcare center under investigation, to include a gross understatement of the times patients waited for healthcare. As noted by the Report: “A direct consequence of not appropriately placing veterans on EWLs is that the Phoenix HCS leadership significantly understated the time new patients waited for their primary care appointment in their FY 2013 performance appraisal accomplishments, which is one of the factors considered for awards and salary increases.”
So what does that mean? It means that veterans who desperately needed health care were not receiving it. And because this was not recorded by those entrusted to manage these veterans’ health, they waited in suffering while leadership at Phoenix received bonuses and raises for their performance.
The VA OIG also found multiple scheduling instances that were not in compliance with national policy. These are likely the basis of the allegations of “secret wait lists.”
When it came to Shinseki, the Report was the straw that broke the camel’s back. It increased the pressure on him to step down, especially after some Senate Democrats broke with others in the party to demand his removal.
Mr. Walsh, the Montana senator, said that the report “confirms the worst of the allegations against the VA” and that “it’s time to put the partisanship aside and focus on what’s right for our veterans.”
So this is where we are. A report confirming our gravest concerns, a deposed Secretary, and full-time coverage by CNN.
When the dust settles, what will be done?
Access my prior blogs on the issues at the Phoenix and San Antonio health care centers. And if you found this article informative, please sign up for my legal blog on veterans issues at https://legalmeetspractical.com. Remember to click the link sent to your email to activate your subscription!
*Sarah Schauerte is an attorney and veterans advocate. Her practice is primarily dedicated to helping veteran-owned small businesses grow, as well as to promote awareness of issues affecting the well being of our nation’s veterans.
He was betrayed the the leaders under him but still like us officers in the Army have been trained, he took the responsibility for it.
As they have always told us officer, ” You can delegate the authority , but you never give up your responsibility.”
We also have a honor code with officers; out here in the real world that code does not work as these leaders in these VAMC lied and gamed the system to make more money. this hurt veterans.
They have done this long before the General was there and they will come up with some scam later on.
I only wish the head of the BVA was gone too.
Unfortunately it’s the wrong head. What need to go is what was causing the problems and that is the scores of mid-level managers the VA has that make up the directives the front line people have to follow. The do this to justify their job and insure the highest bonus possible for themselves.
I’m a 3 year combat, service connected, disabled veteran that retired from the VA two years ago.
It’s unfortunate who’s he’d rolled it was the wrong one. Who’ head(s)should have rolled is all the mid-level managers because it is they who make directives that the front line people have to follow. This takes away from patient care. You also haves to follow the directive right or wrong or its your job. They managers do this for two reasons one to justify their positions and their importance and second to justify the highest possible bonuses.
I am a three year combat, disabled, Service Connected, veteran .I also retired after 30 years from the VA, and I was forced out two years early arguing with management over patient care related to PTSD, seeing I was supposedly incharge of PTSD treatment at my hospital.
Hmmmmm, it is always such a shame that we can be so limited in seeing reality. And it is also amazing that we think that one guy in that top position is the one that is overall responsible for this problem. Of course, it was the responsibility of the people that are actually closer to veterans. But so many feel like things will magically be repaired now that Shinseki steped down.
As to comment about the officer betraying the leaders under him; Please! Do not assume that You are something special or different. He had the integrity to do what he assumed was correct under the circumstances. But rest assured there are plenty of those middle management positions in that are filled with the so called retired offices. So don’t try and act like ALL OFFICERS are some kind of special; Because they are NOT! I am retired war veteran of 21 years and I can assure you that you are sadly mistaken! It is ridiculous how many ignorant and naïve people there really are.
I am an unemployed US Navy medical retiree served 8.5 years, then served 5 years with US Postal Service, then one year at the IRS. I am still unemployed gentlemen and gentlewomen, I do not have a pension from the military, instead it is offset by my VA rating of 100%, I would rather be working instead of receiving an entitlement. Instead I receive Disability, the point of my input is while you are arguing the fact of the resignation and why it was done it provides no assistance to veterans, we would have been better served if he remained and fixed or fired every division head responsible! Then submit to our Congress who has Voted repeatedly to Cut Our Benefits! A real budget with our true needs in mind, the VA is underfunded! It is the responsibility of Congress to fund all governmental programs not the president and not the supreme courts but Congress! Get it through your heads we the veterans are being cut our benefits are being cut by Congress and no one else! We need assistance not rhetoric or BS! My education includes BBA Accountancy yet I am not qualified to be working after my disability was given after it was asked by my IRS Manager then upon disclosure I was asked to resign then 1 week later I was given AWOL status for not being at work! Every governmental agency has issues, lord knows I found out the bigotry at the IRS. The veterans need assistance not fake words.