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#VAFail: Phoenix VA mismanages veterans’ cancer screenings, resulting in delays

If you can count on the Phoenix Veterans Affairs facility for anything, it’s that it will continue making headlines about mishandling veterans’ care.  This time, the VA delayed colorectal cancer screenings for hundreds of veterans.  Why? Because the VA didn’t pay its postage bills on time.    Timely, accurate testing is vital  Colorectal cancer is… Read more »

By Emilye Bell
Friday, December 1st 2023

#VAFail: Veterans’ health care suffering because VA electronic health records system is a failure

The first electronic health records system came online in the 1960s. While the technology has improved over the last 60 years, electronic health records (EHRs) are not new.   Still, the Department of Veterans Affairs can’t seem to develop a system that works for veterans.   The VA has been using EHRs for more than 30 years,… Read more »

By Emilye Bell
Friday, November 3rd 2023

#VAFail: VA is gaming the clock, lengthening veterans’ health care wait times in violation of the VA MISSION Act

The clock starts when play begins. Imagine watching your favorite college sports team and an official forgets to press “go” on the game clock. There would be chaos. There would be outrage. The official might be fired (for good reason).  After years of complaints about veterans’ health care wait times, it appears officials at some… Read more »

By Emilye Bell
Friday, October 27th 2023

#VAFail: Pattern of abuse of Montana veterans shows VA reform long overdue

On a per capita basis, Montana has the third-largest veteran population of any U.S. state. At least 10% of residents, about 90,000 people, served in the military. In a state as vast as Big Sky Country, quality care is not always easily accessible, especially for those stuck using only the VA. Montana veterans need health… Read more »

By Emilye Bell
Wednesday, October 18th 2023

#VAFail: Florida Army veteran shares struggles with mental health care at the VA

For many veterans, deployment doesn’t end when they come back home. The brutal memories from service haunt many veterans, leaving them isolated and confused.    Access to quality mental health care is critical for veterans’ transition to civilian life. Sadly, Army veteran Brian Fay, a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan, struggled when he got home… Read more »

By Emilye Bell
Friday, October 13th 2023

#VAFail: VA claims staff quitting in droves. what does that mean for health care?

We talk a lot about the Department of Veterans Affairs failing veterans on the health care side of VA, but there are also failures on the benefits side.  The VA was already overwhelmed with a backlog of disability benefits claims before last year when the PACT Act, extending new presumptive benefits to millions of veterans… Read more »

By Emilye Bell
Friday, October 6th 2023

#VAFail: Unacceptable care deficiencies may have resulted in veteran’s suicide at VA facility

Veteran suicide is an epidemic, with an average of at least 17 veterans taking their lives every day. There are questions about whether that is a reliable number, but if anything, it’s likely higher.  A particularly tragic part of this epidemic is the scourge of suicides at Veterans Affairs facilities.   A 2020 Government Accountability… Read more »

By Emilye Bell
Thursday, September 28th 2023