Firestorm over Disney comments by VA secretary

VA secretary facing bipartisan firestorm over Disney comments

Published May 24, 2016 

 FoxNews.com

FacebookNever autoplay videos

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald is scrambling to calm a growing bipartisan firestorm after downplaying veteran wait times at VA hospitals by comparing them to wait times for rides at Disney theme parks.

McDonald made the comments Monday morning, and faced a backlash from Capitol Hill almost immediately.

Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., went so far Tuesday as to call for McDonald’s resignation.

“Secretary McDonald’s preposterous statement is right out of Never Never Land,” Blunt said in a statement. “I call on him to resign because it’s clear he cannot prioritize getting our veterans the health care they deserve and have earned in a timely manner.”

One of the toughest condemnations came from Illinois Rep. Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat and Iraq war veteran who lost her legs in Iraq and still receives health care at a VA hospital.

U.S. Veterans by State - Per Capita | HealthGrove

“Comparing abhorrent wait times to a trip to Disneyland is unbelievably tone-deaf and hurtful to American heroes desperately in need of care,” she said in a statement. Duckworth, who is running for Senate, said McDonald “needs to comprehensively address the VA's systemic problems -- and that means reducing wait times, improving care and increasing patient satisfaction.” 

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., top Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, also said he was “troubled” by the secretary’s comments and wants to speak with him.

Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of that committee, said in a statement he was “extremely disappointed in Secretary McDonald’s comparison of the deadly VA wait-time scandal to long lines at an amusement park.” 

Even Disney pushed back on the secretary’s comments. A Disney Theme Parks representative told Independent Journal Review that they do in fact “take wait times very seriously” at their parks, and, “A large team of highly trained industrial engineers are tasked with improving our guest’s experiences, from transportation, to guest flow, to ride comfort and certainly wait times.”

McDonald made the comparison during a breakfast with reporters in Washington.

“When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? Or what's important? What's important is, what's your satisfaction with the experience?" McDonald said.

On Tuesday, he said in a statement it was never his intention "to suggest I don't take our mission of serving Veterans very seriously."

Vietnam Veterans Foundation named worst charity; CEO flees in Rolls Royce

A Rolls Royce belonging to J. Thomas Burch, the CEO of the National Vietnam Veterans Foundation, prepares to speed away from a CNN reporter. (CNN screenshot) more >

By Douglas Ernst - The Washington Times - Monday, May 16, 2016

The nation’s lowest-rated veterans charity is run by a lawyer at the Department of Veterans Affairs with a six-figure income.

The National Vietnam Veterans Foundation gave just $122,000 in cash donations to veterans in 2014 despite pulling in $8.5 million, tax records obtained by CNN show.

J. Thomas Burch, the CEO and founder of the National Vietnam Veterans Foundation, sped off in a Rolls Royce when confronted by the network on Monday.

“Mr. Burch! Mr Burch! Mr Burch!” a reporter implored as the vehicle took off down a suburban street in Washington, D.C. The network wanted to know how just 2 percent of all donations to NVVF were funneled to actual Vietnam veterans.

Charity Navigator, one of the most influential charity watchdog organizations in the U.S., gave Mr. Burch’s organization a zero-star rating on a four-star scale.

J. Thomas Burch is the CEO and founder of the National Vietnam ...more >

“You can’t go lower than that,” says Michael Thatcher, Charity Navigator’s CEO. “They don’t have an independent board of directors, they actually don’t even have a comprehensive board of directors — only three members on the board at this point in time and some of them are family. So one can say, is this representative of an independent board? It’s not.

Senate to open Choice program to all veterans

CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN GOOGLE+ PINTEREST

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Eight Republican senators have introduced a bill that would make the Veterans Choice Program permanent and expand its eligibility to all veterans enrolled in VA care.

The Care Veterans Deserve bill, drafted by Sen. John McCain of Arizona and others, aims to address issues at the Veterans Affairs Department with appointment wait times and access to care.

Under the bill, any veteran who uses VA health services would be able to use Veterans Choice, a program introduced last year that allows veterans to seek treatment at private health facilities if they live more than 40 miles from a VA facility or have to wait more than a month for an appointment.

VA also would be required to expand pharmacy hours to include nights and weekends, and veterans would be allowed to get treatment at walk-in clinics without preauthorization or a co-payment, according to the draft legislation.

The bill is similar to one introduced last year by McCain, who has sought to find “short- and long-term solutions to problems at VA."

“Much more needs to be done to tear down bureaucratic hurdles that are denying veterans the flexible, quality care they have earned and deserve,” McCain said during a press conference Tuesday to introduce the bill. “This legislation is critical to expanding access to care for working veterans while ensuring every veteran has flexibility and choice."

The proposal comes as Congress and members of a congressional commission debate the future of Veterans Affairs health care.

Some veterans groups have raised concerns that Choice expansion is another step toward privatizing veterans health care.

Last year, a task force formed by the advocacy group Concerned Veterans For America released a report calling for placing VA medical facilities under a nonprofit government organization dedicated to treating service-connected conditions. The remainder of veterans care would shift to private health insurance programs, according to the report.

More recently, the panel studying the future of VA care, called the Commission on Care, entertained a report that proposed closing underperforming VA facilities and moving veterans to private care.

Commissioners said that report, called a "strawman," was meant to spark discussion on VA health care options, but veterans groups like the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars, said they were alarmed by the report, which they said was dismissive of veterans' desire that the VA health care system be improved and possibly expanded

The Care Veterans Deserve bill would allow 9 million veterans enrolled in VA care to seek treatment at private and nonprofit facilities. It also would open up VA facilities to volunteer community providers to treat veterans during off hours and let VA use health professionals registered or licensed in one state to treat veterans in other states through telemedicine.

"The Care Veterans Deserve Act takes critical steps toward addressing these unacceptable shortcomings, and improves accessibility, health care, and oversight to ensure our veterans are receiving the care they deserve,” Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa said.

VA has asked Congress this year for legislation that would consolidate the Veterans Affairs Department's various private health care programs and give it more budget flexibility.

VA Secretary Bob McDonald told Commission on Care members April 18 that VA reforms are underway.

"We are working very closely with Sens. Johnny Isakson [R-Ga.] and Dick Blumenthal [D-Conn.] on bipartisan legislation to clean up a lot of the problems we have," McDonald said.

The Care Veterans Deserve bill is sponsored by John Cornyn, Ted Cruz, Kelly Ayotte, Jeff Flake, Lindsey Graham and Thom Tillis, in addition to McCain and Ernst.

Oklahoma considers PTSD in sentencing veterans

An Oklahoma bill that allows judges to take into consideration a diagnosis of PTSD for veterans unanimously passed the state Senate on Tuesday, adding to a series of U.S. laws seeking to address mental illness among military veterans.

Oklahoma House Bill 2595 allows judges to take into account a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a mitigating factor when sentencing veterans who have been diagnosed with the illness.

The bill, which now goes to the governor for a decision on approval, follows similar measures in states including Alaska and California.

This is neither a Democratic or Republican issue, but just something we should have for veterans,” said state Representative Richard Morrissette, a sponsor of the legislation and a Democrat in the Republican-dominated Oklahoma legislature.

"We train men and women to defend our nation in combat and then we expect, upon their return to civilian life, the trauma experienced by these individuals to be erased from their psyche. That is an unreasonable and unfair expectation," he said.

State data shows that compared to other states, Oklahoma has a higher percentage of veterans who have been deployed in danger areas overseas. More than 63 percent of the Oklahoma National Guard was deployed as of 2014 to Iraq or Afghanistan, and more than a third were deployed multiple times, the data showed.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the United States had 161 bills that dealt with PTSD in 2014 and 43 traumatic stress, non-PTSD bills.

In 2014, California allowed courts to consider PTSD, sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury or mental health problems as a mitigating factor in granting probation and treatment instead of jail time, it said.

In 2014, Alaska passed the first law allowing judges to consider PTSD as a mitigating factor during the sentencing of veterans, it said.

Soldier who fought VA, blamed cancer on Iraq 'burn pits,' dies

• U.S. HOME
 
• CRIME
 
• TERRORISM
 
• ECONOMY
 
• IMMIGRATION
 
• DISASTERS
 
• MILITARY
 
• EDUCATION
 
• ENVIRONMENT
 
• PERSONAL FREEDOMS
 
• REGIONS

MILITARY

Soldier who fought VA, 

blamed cancer on Iraq

 'burn pits,' dies

A decorated Army veteran who battled the VA over treatment for cancer he claimed to have gotten from working over burn pits in Iraq has died, his family said Monday. Former Army Sgt. John Marshall, who went to his grave believing his cancer was caused by standing over burn pits where the military disposed of everything from disabled IEDs to lithium batteries, died at his home in Surprise, Ariz., March 29. He was 31, and left behind a wife and two young children."John was the type of guy who touched people even if he didn't know them that long," said Marshall's wife and fellow veteran, Ashley. "The amount of people that have come from all over to offer condolences has been amazing and overwhelming. I knew John was a great person, but it shouldn't have amazed me as it did that so many other people thought so, too."

"John was the type of guy who touched people even he didn't know them that long."

- Ashley Marshall

In February, FoxNews.com wrote about Marshall's struggle after being diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma two years ago. He claimed the VA ruled his illness was not related to his service, and Marshall said he was unable to appeal the ruling with evidence because he was laid up in a hospital bed in January 2015 with pneumonia.

“It’s all just a big slap in the face,” Marshall told FoxNews.com. “I tried to be the perfect soldier. I did everything I was told, and now they just forced my claim through and denied coverage and my benefits.”

Related Image

Expand / Contract

Ashely and John Marshall met while serving in the Army. John died last week, leaving behind his wife and two young children.

VA officials told FoxNews.com at the time that they would re-examine his case, but by then, Marshall's cancer had reached the terminal phase, according to his wife.

The family raised money for his private medical treatment through aGoFundMe.com page, where friends and strangers continued to offer support on Monday.

"As retired Army, we are saddened that the VA did not come through for you," wrote Bob and Edna Woods in a post that accompanied a donation. "You and your family are in our prayers. God bless!"

"The support for my husband is so heartwarming and beyond what I ever thought would happen when this journey started," Ashley Marshall wrote on the site.

Marshall told FoxNews.com he had no doubt that the soft tissue sarcoma he was diagnosed with 14 months ago is a result of his work on Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD) units.

“During my second tour, we were providing security for the EOD [Explosive Ordnance Disposal] guys,” he said. “We didn’t know what we were blowing up, so it’s possible that there we were exposed to something toxic. We stood over open burn pits.”

An October 2013 report from the United States Government Accountability Office identified open burn pits as the likely cause of long-term health issues for many veterans returning from service in the Middle East.

“The U.S. military returning from Iraq and Afghanistan may be suffering chronic, long-term health issues as a result of exposure to toxic fumes from open burn pits,” reads the report. “Defense contractors have used burn pits at the majority of U.S. military bases in the Middle East as a method of military waste disposal. All kinds of toxic waste have been incinerated in these open burn pits, including human waste, plastics, hazardous medical waste, lithium batteries, tires, hydraulic fluids and vehicles -- often using jet fuel as an accelerant.”

Drunk nurse helped with surgery at VA hospital police say

The disciplinary process for a nurse accused of assisting a surgery while under the influence of alcohol could take more than nine months, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs officials have reported. In an email to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, VA officials outlined a disciplinary process that would take at least 270 days if the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Plains Township decides to fire Richard Pieri. Pieri, 59, of Drums, was charged with recklessly endangering another person, driving under the influence and other counts after police said he assisted a Feb. 4 surgery after consuming between four and five beers at the Mohegan Sun Pocono Casino earlier that evening. The medical center initiated disciplinary action against Pieri on Monday. The VA’s Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs responded by email to a letter from committee Chairman U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Florida,who asked why Pieri had not been fired after the charges were filed. According to the email, once the VA’s Disciplinary Appeals Board begins the process for a “major adverse action” — including suspension, transfer or discharge — the agency must obtain all evidence relating to the alleged misconduct such as witness statements and videotapes.

 The human resources office then drafts a proposal notice which is reviewed by district counsel before it is issued to the employee. Full-time employees must receive 30 days advance notice and part-time employees must receive 14 days notice of the proposed disciplinary action, according to the email. “The minimum amount of time it takes is 270 days from the date of issuance of the proposed major adverse action; but it takes time to gather the evidence and write the proposal notice prior to its issuance,” the email reads. The employee also has between seven and 30 days to submit a written or oral reply to the notice. A written decision should be issued within 21 days of the employee’s reply, VA officials said. After receiving the decision, the employee has 30 days to file an appeal with the VA central office which starts an appeals process that could last 210 days. Responding to the email in a statement Tuesday, Miller called the VA’s extended disciplinary process part of a “depressing saga” of a “federal service system designed to coddle and protect corrupt and incompetent employees.” Miller had inquired about the shortest amount of time the process to discipline Pieri could take. “It will take nearly a year to discipline Pieri for something he’s already admitted to,” Miller said. “Enough is enough.” According to the charges against Pieri, police learned of the incident Feb. 11 when a nurse executive reported Pieri smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech when he showed up for the surgery. Pieri proceeded to participate in emergency surgery that lasted into the next morning, police said. Surveillance footage shows Pieri getting out of his pickup and staggering on his way to the hospital door, according to police. Pieri appears to almost fall and walks into a large concrete barrier, police said. - See more at: http://usveteransvoice.blogspot.com/2016/03/va-nurse-drunk-in-surgery-room-still-on.html#sthash.dqlOo7un.dpuf

VA Nurse Drunk In Surgery Room Still On job

The disciplinary process for a nurse accused of assisting a surgery while under the influence of alcohol could take more than nine months, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs officials have reported.
In an email to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, VA officials outlined a disciplinary process that would take at least 270 days if the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Plains Township decides to fire Richard Pieri.

Pieri, 59, of Drums, was charged with recklessly endangering another person, driving under the influence and other counts after police said he assisted a Feb. 4 surgery after consuming between four and five beers at the Mohegan Sun Pocono Casino earlier that evening.

The medical center initiated disciplinary action against Pieri on Monday.

The VA’s Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs responded by email to a letter from committee Chairman U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Florida,who asked why Pieri had not been fired after the charges were filed.

According to the email, once the VA’s Disciplinary Appeals Board begins the process for a “major adverse action” — including suspension, transfer or discharge — the agency must obtain all evidence relating to the alleged misconduct such as witness statements and videotapes. The human resources office then drafts a proposal notice which is reviewed by district counsel before it is issued to the employee.

Full-time employees must receive 30 days advance notice and part-time employees must receive 14 days notice of the proposed disciplinary action, according to the email.
“The minimum amount of time it takes is 270 days from the date of issuance of the proposed major adverse action; but it takes time to gather the evidence and write the proposal notice prior to its issuance,” the email reads.
The employee also has between seven and 30 days to submit a written or oral reply to the notice. A written decision should be issued within 21 days of the employee’s reply, VA officials said.
After receiving the decision, the employee has 30 days to file an appeal with the VA central office which starts an appeals process that could last 210 days.

Responding to the email in a statement Tuesday, Miller called the VA’s extended disciplinary process part of a “depressing saga” of a “federal service system designed to coddle and protect corrupt and incompetent employees.”
Miller had inquired about the shortest amount of time the process to discipline Pieri could take.

“It will take nearly a year to discipline Pieri for something he’s already admitted to,” Miller said. “Enough is enough.”

According to the charges against Pieri, police learned of the incident Feb. 11 when a nurse executive reported Pieri smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech when he showed up for the surgery. Pieri proceeded to participate in emergency surgery that lasted into the next morning, police said.

Surveillance footage shows Pieri getting out of his pickup and staggering on his way to the hospital door, according to police. Pieri appears to almost fall and walks into a large concrete barrier, police said.