(WFLA) – Their complaints are wide ranging, from V.A. staff taking patients’ parking spots, to emergency department doctors asleep on the job.
Veterans and their families vented frustrations with the way they are treated to V.A. administrators at a town hall meeting held at the Bill Young V.A. Medical Center, also known as Bay Pines.
It was a forum for veterans and their families to let out frustrations. Several veterans praised the medical treatment they received. There were plenty of complaints as well.
“I can tell you, what I have seen here has scared the crap out of me,” veteran Megan Donahue said. She was particularly unhappy with her medical treatment.
“I’m very dissatisfied with your emergency department,” said veteran Jerry Donahue.
There were plenty of apologies.
“I’m sorry that we’re not living up to your expectations, ” V.A. Regional director Julianna Boor told the crowd.
Many of the problems cited are problems exposed by Target 8 during a more than year long series of reports about veterans and the issues they are having with the V.A.
More than a year ago, Target 8 reported on troubles with the Veterans Choice Program. Veterans like Louis Salvato experienced long delays getting appointments in a program set up to speed things up.
“They’re absolutely useless,” veteran Lee Ann Williams stated. “It’s an abysmal program.”
Debra Webber told the V.A. that her husband, who is disabled, had to wait six months to see a doctor.
While the medical arm of the V.A. has determined he is disabled, the V.A. is also denying him disability benefits.
“So, I feel like the model that I live with, with the V.A. is delay, deny and hope you die,” Webber stated.
Target 8 also reported veterans like Rod McElveen and Tom Jenkins, whose V.A. disability claims were denied, could expect their appeals to take longer than America’s involvement in World War II: five years or more.
Regional director Julianna Boor confirmed what Target 8 reported.
“To be quite frank with you, our appeals process is broken, ” she said.
She warned unless the process, which hasn’t changed in 80 years, is revamped, the wait for appeals to work their way through will get longer.
“You can count on that number doubling, and perhaps tripling, waiting 10 years if we don’t do something,” Boor added.
Veterans provided plenty of problems for administrators to address, like delays in the emergency department.
Perry Dempsey, who drove from Avon Park, pointed out he waited two hours or more on three separate days that he went to the emergency department. He claims when he went by the nurses station, he didn’t see anyone working.
“There were several staff [members] either shooting the breeze or on their cell phone. I consider that very substandard and unprofessional,” Perry said.
Jerry Donahue’s experience wasn’t much better. He claims he couldn’t get a blanket when he asked for one for his friend. Pain medication didn’t come either. He too claimed the nurses were too busy chatting away.
“Any contact that I had, I went through the physician, one of whom had their head down, she was asleep,” Donahue stated.
“I apologize for that type of experience,” said Teresa Kumar, associate director of Nursing and Patient Services.
Veterans also complained about getting the runaround on phone calls. Veteran Mary Krupa said she was on the phone trying to line up services and got nowhere.
“The answer I got from the same person I started with was, I lie a lot, I’m only an office clerk, it’s a process,” Krupa explained.
“Every time I reach for the phone to call V.A. on something, I think my blood pressure goes up about 30 or 40 points,” veteran James Shelton told administrators.
Veteran Linda Kemper talked about how frustrating it is to talk to V.A. employees who can’t supply answers to her questions. She said she spent seven hours on the phone trying to refill a prescription, and still didn’t get it done.
James Summers complained that he never received a letter from the V.A. stating it was going to reduce his disability check.
“If you’re going to lower somebody’s disability or raise it, whatever, shouldn’t you be sending it out registered, or at least a tracking number, to make sure the person got it?” Summers asked. “Because, I found out and I have four days until my 60 days [to contest it] was up.”
Administrators connected several complainants with V.A. staff to resolve their issues. They also promised to address several issues including inattentive medical care and poor customer service to the attention of staff.
If you have a problem that you think should be investigated, call our Target 8 Helpline at 1-800-338-0808.