By Paul Rieckhoff @ 5:10 PM EST
Last year, “Walter Reed” became a rallying cry for the veterans’ movement. This year, it may be “Marion, Illinois.”
In June 2007, a combat-disabled Vietnam veteran went to the VA hospital in Marion, IL, complaining of chest and abdominal pain. Tests quickly revealed he had suffered a ruptured spleen and needed urgent surgery. After the operation, his heart blood pressure fell dangerously. He desperately needed an immediate blood transfusion. Adequate blood was prepared for this patient, but because the transfusion was administered too late, the patient died.
According to a recent VA Inspector General’s report, this is just one of the 19 deaths in the last two years that were linked to substandard care at the Marion VA. Among the IG’s conclusions:
•The surgical specialty at the Marion VA was “in disarray.” There were serious problems with the quality of care before, during and after surgery.
•Oversight at the hospital was “fragmented and inconsistent.”
•There were serious “deficiencies in the credentialing of physicians.” In multiple instances, “physicians were privileged to perform procedures without any documentation of current competence to perform those procedures.”
The VA has taken steps to resolve the scandalous treatment of veterans at this hospital. VA leadership has apologized to the families of the victims, and is assuring the public that this was an isolated incident.
I’ve heard reassurances from Administration officials before: that the VA budget is adequate, that troops with PTSD are getting screened and treated, and that the scandal at Walter Reed would be resolved. The Marion VA may be a single bad apple in a good hospital system. In fact, veterans’ organizations agree that VA care is some of the best health care available in this country. But it could also be the canary in the coal mine. Our VA system is severely stretched and under-resourced. And I’m skeptical of any official telling me veterans are going to get what they need without a fight.
As we were with the Walter Reed fiasco, IAVA will be out in front, ensuring that this latest scandal is resolved. And our commitment doesn’t flag. Long after the story fades from the headlines, IAVA follows up, tracking the results and holding politicians’ feet to the fire if they leave the job unfinished.
We’ve just released a new series of in-depth reports covering the five most urgent issues facing America’s new generation of veterans and their families, including everything from equipment shortages to treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury. These groundbreaking reports provide all Americans with comprehensive and easy-to-read overviews of the five most critical issues facing veterans in 2008. Reporters, legislators and activists should print them out and tack them to the wall above their desks right now. We hope you’ll have a look, and encourage your representatives in Washington to do so as well.
Cross posted at Huffington Post
I was listening to this yesterday I think. it sickens me that the chief idiot continues to abuse our soldiers and then misuse them when they are injured. Right now I am listening to increased suicides, etc.
It sickens me that bush constantly says how much he cares about them then he screws them. I have a couple sons in this. One just back and one preparing to go back. I can only hope they are not injured. The one going back is EOD. Anyway we see the way the caring idiot makes our troops a priority once injured, McCain promises to do the same thing. Shit!
I posted this comment on Paul’s post on HuffPo:
Paul,
It’s beyond unacceptable and I hope Americans start calling their Representatives to demand changes in the way our Veterans are treated!
Thank you for everything that you do for our Veterans!
Suzie-Q
Having just talked with my brother – one of the victims of the Marion fiasco, I wonder if there is a commitment to compensating and taking care of the veterans and/or their families for the long term. The quick solution demanded by Senator Durbin and the amount quoted in the media as the settlement amount is not true for the victims, as far as my brother has found.
The emotional tow is very great. Every day he is becoming more depressed and disillusioned.
He was already a victim of previous experiments while in the navy for which he was receiving a partial pension. However the total disability from the Marion incident (which another VA hospital signed off on to a life insurance policy) has not yet been issued . 18 months later, he is still waiting for the form authorizing a physical to prove the butchering of his abdomen, the septic poisoning from the botched surgery, the 2-3 unattended heart attacks (heart situations is what it is now being called) has made it impossible for him to work. In the mean time he is being asked to live on 1100 a month.
My brother is not a war veteran but he did serve and the government promised appropriate health care as a result. If he is a typical case, I am sorry for all of the rest. How can we speak of patriotism when we treat individuals in such a manner who defends our right to speak patriotically.
Is anyone else involved in this situation experiencing the same difficulties?