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VA Staff Falsified Documents

USVCP Staff Writers

September 19, 2018

         

It appears as though VA level supervisors instructed VA employees to falsify patient wait times at Veterans Affairs' medical facilities in at least seven states, according to new reports from several media outlets.

   

In the last two years, investigations have revealed that VA employees at 40 VA medical facilities in 19 states and Puerto Rico regularly “zeroed out” veteran wait times. In some cases, investigators found manipulation had been going on for as long as a decade. In others, it had been just a few years.

    

In many cases, facility leaders told investigators they clamped down the scheduling improprieties after the Phoenix VA scandal, but in others, investigators found they had continued unabated.  The manipulation masked growing demand as new waves of veterans returned from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and as Vietnam veterans aged and needed more health care.

    

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

   

The newly released findings show that VA supervisors instructed schedulers to manipulate wait times in Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Texas and Vermont, giving the false impression facilities there were meeting VA performance measures for shorter wait times.

News & Updates

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Jack Kiser, 4/29/21

Same way in Ohio took me almost 30 years to get 100 percent.

      

Tim Long, 1/19/20

TERRE HAUTE IN COBC IS A TRAIN WRECK,staff lie to you, Give you false information and always tell you to call indianapolis va.Guess they all have job security.Also plan on being denied access to a medical doctor because they say so.Only thing that matters is how much money they can save, It is now a HMO.Always been treated well at rouderbush med center in Indianapolis, hear good things about Danville, IL center Guess, terre haute always has ( 20 yrs I know of) put veterans in a,catogory for us to serve them For not have any faith in being told the truth from anyone there so what type of health care do they provide. Right ,Sorry to bother them and dont worry they will let you know that.  Now we can spend our lives searching for med care we trust.  Time to clean house but nothing will be done, its bad.

      

Mary Nichols, 1/19/20

Regarding the cancelled appointments without informing veterans, check their records for current phone or contact information. Do make sure that all old contact information is removed.  My children & I had to start overseeing my husband?s appointments, I opened a VA letter sent to him, apparently they had been trying to contact him on a long obsolete number. Luckily they listed number & dates called & it was only lab results information.   We had his primary care physician update all contact information when we took him in to see her. His PCP and Cardiology always contact him without any problem.
OKC VAMC,in my opinion, is top notch, even with the glitch from dermatology lab.

     

Ronald Christopher, 7/27/19
Falsifying documents is a crime. Where are the charges? Emergency Medical Service EMS recently filed a fraudulent medical report to VA on me.  Sheriff's office refuses to conduce an investigation. VA refuses to do anything about. Filing a false document to a federal agency is a federal offense.

      

Eugene Stewart, 7/26/19
I have to brag on the Iowa City VA facilities. Use to have to wait in the Glasses Office, but a vast improvement in the last year or two and This VA Facility is outstanding. Their callback is great, their doctors and nurses are great and most of the office personnel are smiling and trying to help. All I can say is the Veteran's that are being taken care of should say thank you once in a while and tell the clerk how much you appreciate their service to you as a Veteran. They are doing a great job also. Thank you Iowa City VA for a great job.

    

Rene Chapotel, 5/28/19

It is about time someone investigate the audio C&P exams. All three audio exams administered by the VA had manipulated metrics, when I left the Army in 1964 the test indicated on my medical record did not happen, it was a complete fabrication.  This area should be investigated.

    

Patrick Kerrigan, 4/15/19

As a veteran and former VA employee, there is competition to make these various VA's look like they are doing a great job, until someone complains and the OIG is asked to investigate. I get a email message from another retired VA employee of the things they look into. Its interesting the things that are going on. Part of the problem is that no one is held accountable. At one VA clinic, the civilian service providing the care entered the sam blood pressure readings for all the patients screened. The OIG had to go back 8 months later and found that the Chief of Staff, had done nothing to correct the situation.

       

  

  

  

  

  

  

   

  

  

             

Jack Griffin, 3/31/19
Try this: West Haven, CT VA hospital, to ensure that vets get an appt. they schedule all vets at the same appt. time. Then they get busy, and put up a sign for a two-hour delay!! V.A. Doctor wrote up a report so as to avoid necessary surgery... interpreted by other professionals as "putting me out to pasture." (their exact words).

      

Kornelis Roelfzema, 3/31/19
The facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan got top rates for care, great place to be for good care

    

Gene Stewart, 3/31/19
I would like to compliment the VA in Iowa City, Iowa for a job well done. I have been treated well, mostly friendly staff, an average of 2 1/2 to 3 months between appointments unless there is an immediate followup needed. I've had some surgery at the VA and the Doctors and their staff have been excellent in every case. I am proud of our VA in Iowa City, Ia.. I would recommend them to any Veteran. They have been taking care of my needs for over 12 years. I am a Diabetic and they have the Telehealth System on line to help Veterans who want to help themselves. Thank You.

    

Leonard Jones, 11/28/18

Cannot Trust VA...

   

Dorothy Latimore, 10/12/18

What about appointments being cancel by staff/doctor and not contacting the Veteran. Then showing as a VETERAN Missed Appointment?

    

Linda Howell, 9/20/18

One of my PCP put in my medical record that my Thyroid was fine since my test results came back fine. A test I was never given. One PCP examined my feet as I'm a diabetic. I told her she was the only one to ever do it. She said it's in your record they get checked every time. They never had.

   

Paul Davidson, 9/19/18

Yup,it looks like its S.O.P. at the VA. That's what happens when the high hats get to run the show!!

   

Charles Crossman, 9/19/18

On the POSITIVE side, the VA CBOC here in St Augustine, FL, they go "above and beyond" making sure all of its Disabled Vets are treated with the utmost care. My primary doctor (Dr Hernandez) and his nursing support staff are the VERY BEST. They far exceed any of my expectations.....

   

Kelly McMahan, 9/19/18

08/17 I was diagnosed with diabetes. Three times in the last year my appointments have been cancelled by medical personnel. As of today 09/18 have not been seen. It's my understanding, after speaking with a nurse, I don't have a primary doctor. This is at the VA clinic in Pensacola, FL.

  

Larry Bales, 9/19/18

Maybe time to clean house, and bring charges.

   

Charles O'Bryan, 9/19/18

I called because they cancelled my Drs appointment now I can't get in until Nov.