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VA PHYSICIAN TELLS OF UNDERFUNDING,
UNDERSTAFFING,
LOW MORALE, PATIENT DIVERSION -- VA claims a
record
budget, but if the funds don't get to the
hospitals
then veterans receive inadequate care.
|
VA facility -- Roseburg,
Oregon |
How many times have I written this?
Underfunding leads to understaffing leads to
inadequate care.
The VA is the best healthcare system in this
country... when you can get the care... if you can get the care.
But, let's not take out our anger on the VA
healthcare workers. It starts at the top.
The White House always requests too little for
the VA. The VA brass goes along with this, give or take a few
dollars. Then, Congress goes along with this, give or take a few
dollars.
In all fairness, Congress has added some much
needed funding in the last two years... but, most of that funding is for
OEF / OIF veterans and the programs they need.
What the VA needs is a huge shot of cash.
And, the other thing they need is to get rid of
the VISN (Veterans' Integrated Service Network) system. The VISNs
(regional directors) are just a group of middle-managers that hand money
and information to the hospitals and clinics. They are not needed.
They are an impediment to good care and suck huge amounts of money out of
the system to fund their operations.
Below is a harsh look at what is happening at the
VA is Roseburg, Oregon.
It's happening all over the country.
Story here...
http://www.nrtoday.com/article/2008122
6/GUESTCOLUMNS/812249958/1055&title=Guest%20col
umn:%20Veterans%20deserve%20better%20care
Story below:
Your comments accepted at bottom of
page.
Share story/email link.
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Guest column: Veterans deserve better care
Dr. Charles Ross
Commentary
Lack of adequate funding has led to lack of adequate staffing which in
turn has decreased the quality of care and level of services at the
Veterans Affairs hospital in Roseburg. The Roseburg facility is labeled a
hospital but has not been adequately funded. Last year the budget was
about three quarters of a million short. I have been told that there is a
much larger shortfall this year.
 Working
short staffed has led to significant problems. Numerous resignations have
been occurring over the last several months. Many physicians have resigned
their leadership positions and many nurses have left. The morale is quite
low. A group of hospital employees formed an organization health committee
which identified numerous areas of opportunity for change. But no
significant results so far.
If you are a veteran in an ambulance, do not be surprised if your
ambulance is told to go to Mercy Medical Center instead of the VA. Review
of the last two months statistics from logs in the Emergency Department
reveal an approximately 60 to 70 percent chance of diversion.
Unfortunately you the veteran may be responsible for a significant portion
of the bill due to this diversion.
Veterans deserve to be informed about the kind of care and the services
available at the VA Roseburg. Surgical services have been diminished and
gastroenterology coverage is at times sporadic. This has led to increased
transfers. If you are hospitalized, your care during the day hours may be
on par with the local community hospital. However, at night many of the
services that are standard of care at community hospitals are
significantly delayed at the Roseburg VA. For example, lab studies are
drawn and sent to the Mercy lab at night. X-ray services are on call after
day tour hours. Frequently there is only one physician at night providing
care for the hospital, emergency department, psychiatric unit, and long
term care unit. Many would argue that this is not safe.
 There
are a number of excellent physicians, nurses, and caring staff at the
Roseburg VA. Employees have been frustrated in their attempts to make the
VA Roseburg a better place. The combination of lack of funds and low
employee morale significantly reduces effective recruiting efforts.
Unfortunately, the VA regional leadership (VISN) is unwilling or unable to
provide the funding required to adequately support this facility as a
hospital.
If funding remains inadequate, maybe it is time to close the hospital
aspects of VA Roseburg (inpatient beds, ICU, and Emergency Department) and
convert to a completely ambulatory care center. The problem with this
solution is that veterans would be more financially responsible for their
hospital care unless they travel to Portland (which frequently is full).
Maybe it is time to combine the VA hospitals with the private sector and
have a system of universal health care coverage where everyone receives
the same benefits as is the case with most every other industrialized
country in the world.
Before more of these employees choose to work elsewhere, further reducing
the quality of care … write your legislators or the VA director and let
them know your thoughts. Veterans deserve better.
Charles S. Ross was director of the Emergency Department at the
Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center from November 2007 to July 31,
2008. He has been a practicing physician in Oregon for 31 years and a
Roseburg resident for 11 years. He is board certified in emergency
medicine and family practice. He now provides locum tenens coverage at the
Roseburg VA, Three Rivers Community Hospital in Grants Pass and Bay Area
Hospital in Coos Bay in addition to working part time at Evergreen Urgent
Care in Roseburg.
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posted by Larry Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org
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