In the News

April 2015 started out with good news for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with a story about how the VA was addressing the homelessness of veterans.

However, generally speaking, the year began badly for the Secretary of VA, Robert McDonald. When appearing before the House Veterans' Affairs Committee on Feb. 11, 2015, McDonald had a “conversation” with Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.), a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer who served in both the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars wherein he said, “I've run a large company, sir. What have you done?”

And, on February 23, 2015, McDonald was caught lying in a news video when he claimed that he was in the Special Forces.

Then the 17th Century proverb about March came true - again: it rolled in like a lion. Between March 7 and March 14, 2015, a list of five reports continued to shine a spotlight on severe difficulties within the VA. This included the news that one veteran injured on active duty had been waiting 69 years for a decision on his case for veterans benefits.

Then more adverse news reports after March 14 started coming in. Here is a selected number of those reports:

March 22: Veterans Affairs against new whistleblower protections from retaliation

Although VA Secretary Robert McDonald claimed “he won't tolerate retaliation against whistleblowers”, the VA came out against H.R.571, the Veterans Affairs Retaliation Prevention Act of 2015. VA representatives said “current whistleblower protections are effective”. Yet whistleblowers are still being punished.

March 25: VA Official Paid $288K In ‘Relocation Payments’ To Move 140 Miles

A hospital administrator moved 140 miles to be near her new location as the director of Philadelphia’s VA regional benefits office. In doing so, the VA paid her more than 288,000 in “relocation payments”. About the obscene “payment”, a VA spokesman said “there was nothing inappropriate with the spending.”

March 25: 23,000 veterans in La. may lose health care

The reason for this travesty? It was revealed that the VA “isn't reimbursing physicians for their services.”

March 26: Top-paid doctor involved in Pittsburgh VA scandal

Dr. Ali Sonel, an interventional cardiologist and chief of staff at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, failed to notify hospital officials about the presence of Legionella bacteria in their drinking water. Unfortunately, his failure to act with due diligence led to the deaths of six patients. At the present time, there is no record of Dr. Sonel nor any other official at this facility being held accountable for their actions.

March 30: VA fails to drug test majority of hires in 2013

The VA failed to administer a drug test to 15,800 of 22,600 employees they hired in 2013. And a large number of VA employees who tested positive during the required tests had not been referred to receive help from their employer.

March 31: Veterans Affairs hospital chief draws $179k salary despite missing 80 days a year

DeWayne Hamlin, the top official of the VA hospital in Puerto Rico was paid his full salary of $179,700 despite missing 80 days of work. In the 14 month period ending in June 2014, he missed about 100 days of work.

March 31: Veteran Says the VA Did Something Absurd to His Artificial Leg to Prove He Was Actually an Amputee

Meet Chad Fleming, formerly with the 75th Ranger Regiment. While visiting a VA hospital, a doctor ordered an x-ray of his “artificial leg to prove he was actually an amputee.” Fleming said, ‘You wonder why the country is in such a deficit? It’s because you’re wasting money taking X-rays of a leg that doesn’t exist.’ It’s like, ‘Dude I’m not a starfish. It isn’t going to grow back.’”

Out of all the stories in March, 2015, the most tragic one concerned 40-year old Richard Miles. An Iraq War veteran, Miles recognized his PTSD was getting out of control and went to the V A hospital in Des Moines, Iowa . “I need help” he told the staff at the hospital. However, they decided to give him medication and then sent him out the door. Tragically, “Miles was found dead five days later in the woods. He froze to death and had a toxic amount of sleeping pills present in his system.”

It's no wonder, Marcus Lattrell of “Lone Survivor” fame said, “The last time I was in there to set up for a surgery, I was sitting in the waiting room … watching television. And a special came on the news about a guy who got AIDS from re-used medical equipment in the VA. It was the same procedure I was fixing to get. I’m gone. Deuces. I walked out, man.”

In a presidential campaign speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in August 29, 2008 , Senator Barack Hussein Obama said, “I pledge to build a 21st Century VA. We need to cut through the red tape...We're going to challenge each of our 57 regional VA offices to come up with the best ways of doing business.”

The aforementioned news reports indicate that we are not there yet. “Why not?” is a question that continues to remain unanswered.

Unfortunately, it seems that March, 2015, did not roll out like a lamb for the VA!