I am experiencing the VA medical system. I thought I would share my experience with other vets. Some of the employees have attitudes, but it is clean and so far all is ok.
First step is the lab.
First step is the lab.
VA Medical system
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I'm fortunate to have a full VA hospital within a few minutes of the house. It's been my primary care option for the last ~18 months or so and to date my experiences have been very positive. The hardest part was simply getting into the system in the first place. Once through that, the rest has been great.
Isn’t that the truth. My wait was almost a year.
Just finished with the lab. The phlebotomist was fantastic. I did not even feel the blood draw. Best I have had in my 55 years.
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My experience with them was nothing but positive. I had a sleep study done, and a colonoscopy. My only gripe (really picking nits here) is the suggestion to use "Country Time Lemonade" to make the colon blow medication "palatable". My experience is that McDonald's Sweet Tea (cut 2/3 regular tea to 1/3 sweet tea) was enough to kill that nasty tasting stuff's taste.
Good point
Ok, I am done with my appointment. I have to agree with above. Very pleasant experience. I am happy with my PCM. She did a good job. Of course, she recommended weight loss. I could use that for sure.
Saluki
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I have been in the VA system for 10 years or more and have had excellent experience with the system. We have a full-service hospital and if they can't handle the problem they send you to St Louis. There are people who come from Tennessee, Kentucky, or Missouri to our VA system because their VA system treats them not as well as the one in my area. For me, it's an A+ system. We have a VA nursing home next to the main Hospital.
You know it is great to have good medical support at a cheap price. I guess it is not that cheap since I have the US 25 years of my life. I too am very happy with my care al be it only 1 visit.
pm said:
Thank you for your PM. I started the thread to encourage fellow veterans to get medical and BH care. We gave with service and deserve the best care available.
NateB
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I have only been to VAs while transporting patients in or out. Like other hospitals, the individual VA medical centers aren't equal. The one in Indianapolis appears to be quite nice. Others don't seem to have the capability for as high of acuity as other hospitals in our region.
Rhetorical question. If you have only known the Army and VA medical system, how can you compare or evaluate how good it is with non-VA medical care? I served on active duty for 8 years in the Army and found the care subpar compared with what I receive now. I live near Cleveland and can visit University Hospitals or the Cleveland Clinic and get true world class care. When I had my colonoscopy last year, I didn’t have to cut the meds with country time lemonade. I was given two small packets I mixed with 8 ounces of water and it didn’t taste bad at all.
Perspective is everything.
Hoping your visit to the doctor was routine and not anything serious.
Perspective is everything.
Hoping your visit to the doctor was routine and not anything serious.
rharshberger
Well-Known Member
My younger sister is a ARNP with a VA hospital in WA state, not sure what department she works in currently but at one point it was oncology which is a specialty she kind of has a personal feeling for a she has dealt with thyroid cancer herself. Her hospital has supposedly been pretty good ever since they did a bit of "house cleaning" a few years before she started there.
What makes you think I only know military and VA hospitals? That is a pretty bold statement. As a clinician, I have worked in all three (DOD, VA, CIV). Quality is more than that gut feeling in the bottom of your stomach as a 20 something year old on active duty.
My last facility, for which I served as the Chief Medical Officer, had a NSQIP score (surgical outcome score) that was higher than the Cleveland Clinic and in the top 3%. That means that its surgical outcomes were superior. Our COVID survival rate at the end of the first wave in admitted patients led the country. We has lower adverse outcomes than any facility in the DOD and nearly all facilities in Georgia.
The best Orthopedic surgeons in the world come out of military training. They do sports medicine every day.
So yes, prospective is everything and so is knowing the facts.
My visit to the VA was routine. I hope everyone keeps up with their routine care. Take care of yourself. If you are eligible to go to the VA, the care can be quite good so take advantage of it. If you concerned about the quality, research it.
I’m glad this is your experience. Having said that, I don’t recall ANY civilian hospital making the news for ignoring patients so long that they literally died from what they were seeking care for. Are these the kind of facts you are referring to?
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/r...-of-the-vas-health-system-during-the-pandemic
https://www.cnn.com/2014/01/30/health/veterans-dying-health-care-delays/index.html
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This is the reason I haven't used the VA system yet. I have a military facility that sees me as a patient. They also share the facility with the VA so many of the services (Lab, X-ray, etc) are shared, so in a sense, I have used the VA but my primary care is done "on base." I am told it is only a paperwork drill to get "signed up" but the three times I've tried it was met with disaster. First, I was still on AD with a retirement date and they told me to come back. Second time (after retirement) they lost the initial paperwork (I haven't checked to see if I can do it online). The third was in the beginning stages of the CV so I was told to go away. So I dutifully complied and haven't tried going back yet.
I'd written it off for years because there was always another option via employer provided health insurance. Two years ago I took a position with a small company that didn't do that. Around the same time, I found out a family friend works at the local VA facility and her position was based around getting veterans set up with the VA. After thirty minutes or so with her, every piece of paperwork was filed and I'd gotten a walkthrough of how to use the system smoothly. That was a game changer for me.
The best thing about the VA for me is free Meds. This stuff is super pricey in the civvy world. The phone system sucks like a white dwarf star. Constantly playing phone tag. I'd say other than the free meds, I prefer the
" real world " medical system. Other than the insurance, wait times, and Dr's attitudes, it's great, ; )
" real world " medical system. Other than the insurance, wait times, and Dr's attitudes, it's great, ; )
Eliot Ness
Member
Like most facilities not all VA Hospitals are created equally, the difference mainly the attitude of the employees. I was a field service engineer for a major medical manufacturer (CT, MR, PET Scan, etc.) and routinely visited VA facilities in a three state area. One of the VA Hospitals I went to the most was one of the cleanest of all that I serviced, including the University Hospitals.
The best of the VA Hospitals were very clean, took care of their equipment, and treated their patients with respect. Some other hospitals not so much.
The worst one I was in seemed overwhelmed with patients and their attitudes reflected that. Sort of like hospitals in the private sector some are better than others, but it seems more VA Hospitals seem overworked.
I will say, at least in the area I covered, they had the best diagnostic equipment on a par with the private sector. That was in part to them putting out bids for several facilities at one time.
Healthcare in the U.S. is changing so if you have a physician and hospital you like hopefully you'll be able to stick with them.
The best of the VA Hospitals were very clean, took care of their equipment, and treated their patients with respect. Some other hospitals not so much.
The worst one I was in seemed overwhelmed with patients and their attitudes reflected that. Sort of like hospitals in the private sector some are better than others, but it seems more VA Hospitals seem overworked.
I will say, at least in the area I covered, they had the best diagnostic equipment on a par with the private sector. That was in part to them putting out bids for several facilities at one time.
Healthcare in the U.S. is changing so if you have a physician and hospital you like hopefully you'll be able to stick with them.
There are plenty of reports of CIV facilities ignoring patients. You don’t hear about it because it is not an expedient to the news and the facilities settle quickly with non-disclosure agreements. You do not get that from GOV facilities. As the CMO of system, I had to intervene for a beneficiary in a CIV facility at least once every 3 months. It is common but I do not vilify the CIV facilities or characterize them as all unsafe. .
I would recommend that you stick to rocketry and the stuff you are an expert in than flaming something in which you are not.
Of course there are bad GOV facilities but characterizing the whole system based on a few news articles on one is just wrong.
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We have a beautiful new facility (not hospital) here.
It took me 3 tries to get into the system.. made too much money. Applied again after I was fully retired and got in.. cheap meds, physical, blood work, etc.. all good.
Then last month I received a letter.. I don't know where they got all the information (probably the IRS).. interest from my savings account, Social Security, etc.. and they determined that I had gone over the limit.
So now I'm responsible for copays, and judging by the email they sent, a bill is forthcoming.
Mark me down as currently unhappy with the VA.
It took me 3 tries to get into the system.. made too much money. Applied again after I was fully retired and got in.. cheap meds, physical, blood work, etc.. all good.
Then last month I received a letter.. I don't know where they got all the information (probably the IRS).. interest from my savings account, Social Security, etc.. and they determined that I had gone over the limit.
So now I'm responsible for copays, and judging by the email they sent, a bill is forthcoming.
Mark me down as currently unhappy with the VA.
There are limits but that is not the VA. That is congressionally mandated. Call your congressman or woman.
Sorry Colonel, not flaming just think that there are few examples of the government running anything efficiently and well. Amtrack, USPS, NASA and the list goes on. I’m sure you did an excellent job when you were on active duty just like I did. But, as a Commisioned Officer who took the same oath I did to protect and defend the Constitution, surprised to hear the advice coming from you to “shut up”.
You may not agree with my view, but I should be free to express it. But then I resigned my commission in 1996, perhaps they swear fealty to the President these days. Don’t know.
That is not what I am saying. I might have been too harsh. Generalities that all VA and DOD medical care is subpar is just not true. In general that is what you were saying and it is not true in the slightest. We have some of the best trained clinicians in the world they usually do a darn good job for a heck of a lot less pay. In fact, if you have a broken bone or trauma, there are only a few places that would be better in the United States.
You are free to say what ever you want, but that does not make it true. I for one, will always confront fabrication and misrepresentation.
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Worked for the VAMC in Decatur, GA from August 1989 until December 1997 in their IT department (known as Information Resources Management Service, at the time). When I became diabetic, I visited a couple of buddies that worked in the Lab (I supported the Lab software package) and they drew blood to check my sugar with the lab equipment and compare the results with my glucometer. They did a WAY better job at drawing blood than the phlebotomists at Kaiser the weekend before.
Every Halloween, the phlebotomist team dresses up as vampires and makes their rounds. The patients love it!
I want to apologize to everyone for derailing the topic I started. As a clinician, I have always prided myself in not having made any major mistakes in medicine and never harming a patient. As the CMO for 10 years, I have passed a passion to all. my staff to own their patient, take care of them, and provider only the care you would want for your own family.
I can afford any medical care I want and I have received care at Mayo and the Cleveland Clinic, but I choose the VA and DOD. I hope each of you get the care you deserve.
I can afford any medical care I want and I have received care at Mayo and the Cleveland Clinic, but I choose the VA and DOD. I hope each of you get the care you deserve.
bobby_hamill
Well-Known Member
If you live far away from a VA Hospital you can have your family Dr be appointed as your primary care physician. My family Dr is 4 miles away where the VA hospital is like a 2 hour drive away
Very true.
My wife has been going to VA hospital in Vegas since it opened. It's less than 10 years old. She was diagnosed with MS about 6 years ago. She has never had anything negative to say about it. She can send a secure message to her doctors and get a response quickly. She has a shoe box of meds. We have often talked about negative comments made by others about the VA. They don't make sense compared to our experience. She gets appointments quickly. The pharmacy has been great. Every place I have taken her looks brand new. Clean and well kept. Nellis just opened a new hospital and is taking civilian patients. There are a lot of Vets in Vegas and here in Pahrump. I would say half the population are Vets here. We have a VA clinic here that has been very good to her. She can send a secure message to her provider here and get a response in a few hours most of the time. Me they wouldn't take because our income was over the limit.
The income limit is unfortunate but is congressionally mandated. Congress implemented that to maintain access for this that cannot afford it.
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