PHOENIX — A community at the epicenter of a national scandal involving military veterans is still demanding dramatic reform one decade later.
The group Concerned Veterans for America gathered in Phoenix on Wednesday on the 10-year anniversary of the V.A. health care scandal first reported by The Arizona Republic and CNN. In 2014, whistleblowers in Phoenix exposed how the agency’s medical centers manipulated wait time statistics while at least 40 veterans died while waiting for appointments.
Veteran advocates are now demanding Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs address lingering systemic failures.
“Unfortunately, the V.A. has ignored the V.A. Mission Act. Congress doesn’t have the wherewithal to uphold the law. They are not holding the V.A.’s feet to the fire,” Paula Pedene, an Air Force veteran and one of the original whistleblowers said.
Concerns remain over wait times
On Wednesday, patient advocates with the nonprofit cited V.A. data that shows wait times for appointments for primary care can range from 20 days to 59 days, and for mental health care, wait times can range from 45 to 105 days.
“While progress has been made, some of the same problems persist at the V.A. It’s almost tradition,” said Iraq War veteran Tim Taylor, a director of Concerned Veterans for America.
A spokesperson for the V.A. said those statistics do not represent the full picture and wait times vary based on location.
For example, at the Carl T. Hayden Phoenix Medical Center, wait times are one day for established patients and eight days for new patients. Average wait times for mental health care at the facility are eight days for an established patient and 23 days for a new patient. Those numbers are better than industry averages.
“Additionally, if they need care right away, a Veteran could be seen at our emergency rooms at any time,” said V.A. spokesperson Bobbi Gruner.
The V.A. publishes wait times on its website to allow patients to choose a location that may serve them sooner.
“Over the past 10 years, VA has worked tirelessly to improve access to care and quality of care to regain the trust of veterans,” Gruner said.
A Government Accountability Office report last year revealed ongoing scheduling problems. Less than 10% of VA Medical Centers scheduled 75% of their appointments within the current standard.
Two proposed bills to address access to care
“If we are going to be willing to send our sons and daughters into war, we need to be willing to mend them the right way when they come home,” Taylor said on Wednesday.
The nonprofit is calling for passage of the Veterans Health Care Freedom Act, sponsored by Senator Marsha Blackburn and Representative Andy Biggs. The bill would “fundamentally address problems with access” and prioritize veterans’ needs, Taylor said.
Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I) is cosponsoring the Scheduling for Community Health and Easy Data to Understand for Legislators to Evaluate Services Act. It would require greater transparency from the VA regarding wait times.
“We continue our work pressuring the VA to keep its promises to Arizona veterans,” Sinema said in a written statement.
RELATED: Phoenix VA defends wait time reports
Do veterans really have a “choice”?
The 2018 V.A. Mission Act gave veterans the option to seek care outside of the federal system. The purpose was to give patients choices.
But fulfilling the law’s goals remains a concern.
“Veterans nationwide are facing massive bureaucratic barriers in accessing community care and are actively being denied information about their benefits,” Pedene said.
The law also defined and extended “community care” guidelines, created options for telemedicine, and began modernizing the V.A.’s infrastructure.
Phoenix V.A. has added six clinics
Retired Army veteran Steve Cooper became a champion for reform after his own battle with prostate cancer and his successful lawsuit against the V.A. Cooper said Wednesday that he is trying to help a stage four cancer patient who is experiencing similar problems Cooper did many years ago.
“They put up roadblocks, delays in trying to get him appointments and even a refusal to cooperate with him to get him to a hospital to get him quality care,” Cooper said.
Speaking generally about care, Gruner said since 2014 the Phoenix V.A. Health Care System has added six clinics in the Valley, expanded the number of physicians by 40%, and served 30% more “unique patients” annually.
Gruner cited surveys showing veterans receiving care in Phoenix reporting satisfactory rates over 90% and said a new initiative, Access Sprints, expands access to care at night and weekend clinics.
“The entire team at the Phoenix VA are 100% committed to providing veterans with the world-class care they deserve – wherever and whenever they need it,” Gruner said.
Complaints about whistleblower cases
An original whistleblower of the health care scandal in 2014 was Air Force veteran Paula Pedene. She said Wednesday she was retaliated against for her actions and whistleblowers are still subject to retaliation.
“Today the V.A. still has the highest number of whistleblower cases of any federal agency,” Pedene said. “There are good people on the inside who are trying to get the system to work to help take care of our nation’s veterans.”
According to Gruner, the V.A. is building a culture “where every employee feels empowered and unafraid to raise concerns without fears of reprisal.” The V.A. reports between 2021 and 2023, the average amount of days for whistleblower investigations to be completed has decreased from 251 days to 82 days. During that same period, the average amount of days for whistleblower cases “resulting in a report of investigation” decreased from 496 days to 180 days.
Employees who want to report suspected misconduct can 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 established a new position, the whistleblower navigator, designed to assist whistleblowers with navigating entities that have investigative authority.
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