GAINESVILLE - In his fourth trip to Georgia as the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Robert McDonald told a crowd in Gainesville Friday that the agency's customer service needs to improve.
The large audience of veterans at the University of North Georgia's Gainesville campus seemed to agree.
McDonald was among five witnesses in the oversight hearing conducted by the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs related to the Veterans Choice Program (VCP).
The program, approved by Congress a year ago, allows veterans enrolled in VA health care to receive care from non-VA facilities, instead of waiting for a VA appointment or traveling to a VA facility.
To qualify, the veteran has been, or will be, waiting more than 30 days for VA medical care or they live more than 40 miles away from a VA medical care facility or face one of several excessive travel burdens.
Georgia U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson is chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and presided over the hearing to look at implementation of the program.
McDonald has been secretary since July of last year following the resignation of General Eric Shinseki in the wake of scandals in the VA system, including long wait times for care. McDonald is the retired Chairman, President, and CEO of Procter & Gamble and served in the Army.
"When I came to the VA, what I discovered was the second-largest department in government, I felt, everybody was looking inward," McDonald testified.
He said his job is to turn the focus outward, toward the veteran community.
"We've got open everything up, let people in, hear the criticism, and then work to improve customer service," McDonald said.
Part of that challenge relates to a growing number of veterans in the VA system, and in turn the Choice program.
"Georgia is one of the fastest growing areas of the country for veterans seeking VA care. This year, the Atlanta VA has seen its numbers of unique patients grow seven and a half percent."
McDonald said it's echoed across the country as the large number of Vietnam veterans enter the 50- to 65-year-old age range.
Ninth District Congressman Doug Collins of Gainesville also questioned the panel. He said his office has workers whose sole responsibility it is to deal with veterans who should be getting service without going to their Congressman or Senator.
"They (veterans) shouldn't have to. I should have them (staffers) being able to research new ideas," Collins said.
Now approaching his second year as secretary, McDonald is tasked with that growing number of veterans in the system and correcting problems with the VCP.
"The big missing link in the chain is everybody in the VA knowing what to communicate to the veteran and the veteran having an easy way of finding out how to get it," Isakson said.
Wendy Paradis, past commander of Chapter 17 of the Disabled American Veterans in Gainesville, said she has struggled with the using the Choice program. She said the VA should immediately designate veterans who are past the 30-day wait for an appointment as Choice eligible.
"You shouldn't have to tell them you're going with Choice. They should be telling you on the phone that there's a Choice program. It's time that they let the veterans know what is to be offered to them," said Paradis, who served in the Air Force.
Paradis in part blamed Congress for the issues with VCP.
"They should have gave them (VA) time to train the people to start this program."
Through the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014, Congress gave the VA 90 days to roll out the program.
Donna Hoffmeier, Vice President of VA Services and Patient-Centered Community Care Program Manager for HealthNet, testified about the tight implementation timeline. HealthNet provides managed health care programs for the VA.
"The limited implementation period for choice did not afford VA time to develop necessary policy and process guides, nor did it allow us the time to develop operational processes, make needed system changes and to effectively hire and train the staff needed to support a program of this size and complexity."
As a result, appointment waiting periods can be as daunting in Choice as they are in the VA alone. Veteran Carlos Chacha of Jasper testified about trying to schedule an appointment since May. He still hasn't seen a physician.
Al Harris, a retired Marines Corps Lt. Col. from Flowery Branch, said he has yet to hear of a positive outcome from the Choice program.
"It was a bunch of heavy-barreled legislation so they (lawmakers) could get a headline, but they didn't walk the extra mile to really implement it, the way that it could have possibly been effective, right out of the gate," Harris said.
Isakson said Congress did the best it could last summer. While there have been problems, Isakson said the Choice program was the right thing to do.
"We all know the changes we have made, and the ones we seek to make will make it even better. It will be the force-multiplier necessary not to replace VA health care, but to enhance VA health care," Isakson said.
Still, Harris wanted veterans to have a chance to ask questions and press issues with officials in the hearing.
"It was pretty much a dog and pony show, which is what I expected coming in here, since they weren't going to accept any questions from the audience. There was a whole lot of people that have years, if not decades, of bad experiences with the VA," Harris said.
Friday's field hearing was third in a series conducted by the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on the choice program.
Thursday
December 12th, 2024
4:53PM
