Veterans say medical care is still lacking 10 years later

PHOENIX — The community at the epicenter of a national scandal involving veterans is still calling for dramatic reforms a decade later.

Concerned Veterans for America gathered in Phoenix on Wednesday to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the veterans health care scandal first reported by the Arizona Republic and CNN. In 2014, a whistleblower in Phoenix exposed how the agency's medical center manipulated wait time statistics when at least 40 veterans died while waiting for appointments.

Veterans' advocates are now demanding that Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs address lingering systemic deficiencies.

“Unfortunately, the VA has ignored the Veterans Affairs Act. Congress doesn't have the wherewithal to uphold the law. They're not holding their feet to the fire at the VA,” Air Force Veterans said. said Paula Pedene, one of the first whistleblowers.

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On Wednesday, the nonprofit patient advocacy group cited VA data showing wait times for primary care appointments ranged from 20 to 59 days, and wait times for mental health care ranged from 45 to 105 days. .

“While progress has been made, some of the same problems still remain in the VA. It's almost tradition,” said Tim Taylor, an Iraq war veteran and director of the American Veterans Association.

A VA spokesperson said these statistics do not represent the full picture and wait times vary by location.

For example, at Carl T. Hayden Phoenix Medical Center, the wait time for existing patients is one day and the wait time for new patients is eight days. The average wait time for mental health care at this facility is 8 days for existing patients and 23 days for new patients. These numbers are better than the industry average.

“Additionally, veterans can always be seen in the emergency room if they need immediate treatment,” VA spokesman Bobby Gruner said.

The VA publishes wait times on its website so patients can choose where they can be seen faster.

“Over the past decade, VA has worked tirelessly to improve access to and quality of care to restore the trust of our veterans,” Gruner said.

A Government Audit report last year revealed ongoing scheduling problems. Less than 10% of his VA medical centers have scheduled his 75% of appointments within current standards.

“If we're going to send our sons and daughters to war, we have to be willing to put them back on the right path when they come home,” Taylor said Wednesday.

The nonprofit group, with support from Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Rep. Andy Biggs, is pushing for passage of the Veterans Health Care Freedom Act. Taylor said the bill “fundamentally addresses access issues” and prioritizes the needs of veterans.

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I) is sponsoring a community health schedule and easy-to-understand data for lawmakers to evaluate service legislation. There would need to be more transparency from the VA regarding wait times.

“We continue to work to pressure the Department of Veterans Affairs to keep its promises to Arizona veterans,” Sinema said in a written statement.

RELATED: Phoenix Veterans Affairs defends wait time reporting

The Veterans Affairs Act of 2018 gave veterans the option to seek care outside of the federal system. The goal was to give patients a choice.

However, concerns remain about achieving the goals of the law.

“Veterans across the country face significant bureaucratic barriers to accessing community care and are actively denied information about their benefits,” Pedene said.

The act also defined and expanded “community care” guidelines, created telehealth options, and began modernizing VA's infrastructure.

Veteran Steve Cooper, who has become a champion for reform after his own battle with prostate cancer and won a lawsuit against the Veterans Administration, said Wednesday that Cooper faced similar issues years ago. He said he is trying to help stage 4 cancer patients who are suffering from cancer.

“They put up roadblocks, delayed trying to get him an appointment, and even refused to cooperate in getting him to the hospital for quality care,” Cooper said.

Speaking generally about care, Gruner said that since 2014, the Phoenix VA Healthcare System has added six clinics in the Valley, expanding its number of physicians by 40% and serving 30% more “unique patients” each year. stated that it provides.

Citing research showing veterans receiving care in Phoenix report more than 90% satisfaction, Gruner said a new initiative, Access Sprint, will expand night and weekend clinics. access to treatment will be expanded.

“The entire team at Phoenix Veterans Affairs is 100% committed to providing veterans with the world-class care they deserve, whenever and wherever they need it,” Gruner said.

The first whistleblower in the 2014 medical scandal was Air Force veteran Paula Pedene. She said Wednesday that she has been retaliated against for her own actions and that her whistleblower is still subject to retaliation.

“The Veterans Administration still has the highest number of whistleblower cases of any federal agency,” Pedene said. “There are good people inside who are trying to keep the system working to help take care of our nation's veterans.”

Gruner said the VA is building a culture where “all employees feel empowered to raise concerns without fear of retaliation.” From 2021 to 2023, the average number of days it takes for a whistleblower investigation to complete decreased from 251 days to 82 days, the Veterans Administration reported. Over the same period, he said, the average number of days for a whistleblower case “resulting in an investigation report” decreased from 496 days to 180 days.

Employees who wish to report suspected misconduct may call the VA Office of Inspector General hotline at 800-488-8244 or the independent U.S. Office of Special Counsel at 800-872-9855.

Last year, the agency created a new position, Whistleblower Navigator, aimed at helping whistleblowers navigate organizations with investigative powers.

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