"The report portrays Phoenix VA clerks, clinicians and administrators as confused and in conflict about scheduling policies despite more than two years of reform and retraining." This is old news, right? Sadly, that is not the case. As this article explains, two years after it was the epicenter of the veteran waiting list scandal, the Phoenix VA is still a mess when it comes to getting timely care for veterans. The VA’s Office of Inspector General has found that the changes and reforms have not had much impact. In fact, it looks like the backlog has actually gotten worse.
While not the subject of this article, there is little doubt that the problems that still plague the Phoenix VA can be found at many other VA hospitals. The waitlist scandal at the Phoenix VA was not an isolated incident when the story broke years ago, and issues continue to plague VA medical facilities across the country. Veterans have died or suffered unneeded impairments because of inexcusable delays in providing care to them. This may be the “new normal,” but it is not right.
