Military Veterans from every service gathered to receive updates on West Texas VA and to provide feedback to leaders at a town hall held in San Angelo, Texas.
“I’m glad they took time out to do this for Veterans,” said Navy Veteran Terry Cook. “Veterans can have a lot of things happen to them during their health care, so knowing and understanding the new services available to folks from VA really lets people identify and treat things early.”
Cook, 69, from San Angelo, Texas, was diagnosed with cancer during his health care journey. He credits a lot of the health care providers and consults VA conducted that made him aware how to navigate the process to receive care through the VA system.
“It’s a two-way street. You have to be involved in your health care so you have to get information from the source to better understand how to take care of yourself. Not all Veterans could attend, so I came to this meeting to gather the right information to push out to the community,” Cook said.
Veterans were informed on new VA changes and initiatives, such as updates to the PACT ACT, the new 24/7 VA nurse triage line and new medical services being offered within the San Angelo Community Based Outpatient Clinic.
“All your health history is available to the nurse on the line.”
“The 24/7 VA Nurse Line is great,” said Tyndall Light, nurse manager from the San Angelo Community Based Outpatient Clinic. “If you call the Clinical Call Center, all your VA health history is available to the nurse on the line so they can make better health decision for your care. This keeps the care within VA and, depending on the type of symptoms, you can be connected to a licensed independent practitioner on the phone.”
Veterans spoke up about various individual challenges, such as eligibility concerns and transportation issues, which were addressed by experts, homing in on the main purpose of the event: Veteran care.
“Veterans are at the center of everything we do,” Bass added. “We hold these town halls so we can engage with and receive first-hand feedback from our Veterans. No question is off limits, and we want folks here to walk away with all questions answered.”
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What is it with the Veterans Administration always looking out for its personnel instead of veterans? In the past medical staff always had its way but now you have front desk clerks doing what they wish. My last two visits to the mcallen, TX VA clinic resulted in an LVN writing his personnal opinion in my medical record that had nothing to do with my health, it was more of a retaliatory move using the front desk clerks claims I was trying to defame my doctor’s reliability. I went in that day asking to speak to an administrator that supervises my doctor because she had failed to refill my pain meds for the previous 3 months and I wanted to ensure it did not happen again. I didn’t lie or exaggerate, its in my medical records and can be verified. Yet the same LVN happened to be the nurse who called me in to see my new team doctor (not the team nurse, only covering) who I got a chance to speak with him, I told him we would be speaking with an administrator later about what he wrote in my record, especially since he didn’t even attempt to speak with me about it. Anyway he left the examroom and spoke with the team doctor, who came in with guns blazing treating me like a drug addict. Its a good thing I had my brother there with me as a witness otherwise who knows what would have been written in my record. I will say one thing, previous patient advocates at that clinic have been of little help, I have found a desk paperweight be more helpful. This new patient advocate seems to have his heart in the right place but is limited with the help he can give. Veterans need to have a real 800 Helpline that they can see or track their concerns or issues and see how valued their input is.
Funny, the va’s useless as far as I’m concerned and I’m a veteran and a retired firefighter for the State. I’ve been to several va’s and without a doubt El Paso VA and west side clinic is JUNK.
M3 Bradley tinnitus since 1986 denied disability, kidney cancer denied disability, blood cancer denied disability, PTSD denied…etc
The VA’s doctors and nurses are so lame I asked for sleeping medication and all they gave me was antidepression medication and I am not depressed!
VA is useless. Only friends family and neighbors of va employees get compensation. And if you’re black or Mexican forget about it, don’t even bother applying. Everything about the VA now is a scam and about VA employees and their pay. The sorry excuses for doctors and nurses never served one second in the military. They never earned the right and they never will. Thanks for nothing VA employees, go choke on your paper.
Firefighter/EMT ZABALA ( Retired)