My Son..

[Elessar]

He is in a doctorate program for Physical Therapy, and this Trimester has
been interned in the Oakland CA VA Medical Center.

He tells me there is only one staff Physical Therapist there.

Now they have some bean-counter coming in that has no practical
knowledge in the field that recommends cutting sessions from one hour
to 30 minutes! To save money!

Neil has dealt with many folks with PTSD there, and it takes at least
10 minutes to get them started and relaxed. Cutting that down with the above
proposal is damn near criminal.

That is really NOT doing our folks any good. May as well toss them on the street.

Obama again? What is the answer?

[SassyLady]

I took a friend to VA clinic here in Tucson yesterday for eye exam. He also gets physical therapy there and one of the therapists is retiring and there are no plans to replace her. She said she doesn't understand because there's only two of them at this satellite clinic and they are booked solid. After she's gone he will probably have to go to the main facility and that place is almost a city unto itself. They have trams that pick you up in parking lot and take you to the buildings where you need to be.

As for reduced therapy time ..... to bad they can't book back to back 30 minute appointments to get that full hour in.

[CSM]

Perfect example of the VA incompetence....

Isn't it a bit odd that we as a nation can spend trillions to send young men and women to war but then wail about the expense of treating and helping to heal those we sent into harms way?

I bet a nickle to anyone's donut that the bean counter never served and probably has very little (if any) respect for those who served and even less for those who are patients at that facility...

[gabosaurus]

Perfect example of the VA incompetence....



Isn't it a bit odd that we as a nation can spend trillions to send young men and women to war but then wail about the expense of treating and helping to heal those we sent into harms way?



I bet a nickle to anyone's donut that the bean counter never served and probably has very little (if any) respect for those who served and even less for those who are patients at that facility...

My dad's best friend, who served several tours of duty in Viet Nam, once testified before a Congressional subcommittee. He wondered why Congress spent so much money waging war and so little treating the veterans who served in those wars.
His anger came when he saw how little his elected representatives cared. They rolled their eyes during testimony and were obviously disinterested.
IMHO, it is because the VA has no paid lobbyists. No one offers paid junkets and campaign contributions to tour VA hospitals. This is why the military overbids on projects and administers health care funds with an eye dropper.

[Kathianne]

My dad's best friend, who served several tours of duty in Viet Nam, once testified before a Congressional subcommittee. He wondered why Congress spent so much money waging war and so little treating the veterans who served in those wars.
His anger came when he saw how little his elected representatives cared. They rolled their eyes during testimony and were obviously disinterested.
IMHO, it is because the VA has no paid lobbyists. No one offers paid junkets and campaign contributions to tour VA hospitals. This is why the military overbids on projects and administers health care funds with an eye dropper.

I don't know about the 'story' part, but the gist of the post is on mark.

[Elessar]

IMHO, it is because the VA has no paid lobbyists. No one offers paid junkets and campaign contributions to tour VA hospitals.

Being a Government Agency, they cannot have lobbyists....conflict of interest.

Yet, the rest of your comments are really Spot On!

Thanks Gabby!

[Elessar]

Perfect example of the VA incompetence....

Isn't it a bit odd that we as a nation can spend trillions to send young men and women to war but then wail about the expense of treating and helping to heal those we sent into harms way?

I bet a nickle to anyone's donut that the bean counter never served and probably has very little (if any) respect for those who served and even less for those who are patients at that facility...

Neil said the bean counter served two tours as an officer, but none spent in a combat zone.

Neil is pretty good on military terminology....guess I guided him pretty good!