Comments on: "It’s not just Walter Reed"

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 23:18:00 +0000

Failed Leadership
Failed budgets,
Failed planning, Failed organization, Failed implementation, Failed execution.

Totally mismanaged, just like a mini Katrina for the injured veterans.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 23:14:00 +0000

The docs at the military hospital can’t handle the load. Further, we are in need of more speciality neuro surgeons – brain. Additionally, the demnads on them by top brass is unreal. And the military hosptials and the VA are BOTH under-funded.
Failed Leadership all the way up the chain.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 23:42:00 +0000

Why are the doctors keeping their heads down? Are we a generation of cowards? Are we so readily willing to sell our integrity for a pension?

By: DR. MARY JOHNSON

DR. MARY JOHNSON — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 03:52:00 +0000

No, it's not just Walter Reed. The problems are UNIVERSAL, only magnified by the military infrastucture . . . and (DUH) a war.

A few news outlets (not many) have asked the question, where were the doctors in this equation? The answer is keeping their heads down.

Death and body parts. That's what it takes for anybody to notice.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:33:00 +0000

They need an EMR!

No, wait they have that already. So how did this go wrong?

By: Elliott

Elliott — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:33:00 +0000

P.S. I doubt Dunford would appreciate the thrust of your post or being put into the same context as the other comments. His are thoughtful and apply specifically to the military hospital system without attacking the VA or the idea of government run healthcare.

By: Elliott

Elliott — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 23:59:00 +0000

Kevin, I apologize, but I gotta tell you that the distortion on this story is truly upsetting. It also fits into a pattern on this blog which seems to have become more one-sided.

My points are:

1. That there is conflation here of two very different systems - army military hospitals and the VA. In fact the failings of the army system are exacerbating issues within the VA because soldiers are being discharged into the VA system with incomplete paperwork and/or treatment.

2. The VA system is being tested, but it still remains an excellent system with lower costs, better outcomes, and higher satisfaction than comparable private systems. The comments in the article are purely anecdotal and some, probably come from people who did experience the VA at its worst before serious and successful efforts were made to improve it.

3. The Republican Congress, many of whom use the kind of cheap rhetoric employed in your post have not funded the VA properly even while demanding more or it because of Iraqi vets flooding the system.

This was a cheap shot by you and all of the right wing commentors you employed as proxies.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 23:30:00 +0000

Elliott,
I deleted your comment because of the personal attacks.

You make good points and, as a long time reader of my blog, I encourage your contrarian view. However, I would appreciate leaving personal attacks out of your arguments.

You're better than that.

Thanks,
Kevin

By: Matthew

Matthew — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 17:20:00 +0000

No one ever blames lawyers for malpractice. They blame lawyers for knowingly trying meritless cases to turn a profit. Not that it relates to this story in any way, but it seemed important to correct anonymous.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 16:55:00 +0000

Walter Reed isn’t the VA ya’ll. I know all the military must blend together for the people who have never served but try to get it right.