Veteran's photos of dirty VA clinic room go viral, prompts apology
One veteran's post on social media has prompted a VA clinic in Salt Lake City, Utah, to apology for the disarray and dirty conditions found at the facility. CBS affiliate KUTV writes that Army Veteran Christopher Wilson -- who served two tours in Iraq -- was subjected to a room he couldn't believe.
He took pictures that included "debris on the floor, a full garbage can, cutting tools, a soda cup on a counter and medical kits left open."
Wilson had a podiatry appointment scheduled April 5 and had to wait 45 minutes before he had discovered the filthy room.
"I figured they would say, 'Oh, this room's not clean,' and take me somewhere else, but they kind of just blew past it -- didn't acknowledge it," Wilson told KUTV.
Wilson expected better treatment. He took to Facebook to post the photos which were later shared on Twitter by his father Stephen Wilson -- who even tagged President Trump:
" My son is a Veteran of the United States Army. He went to the # VA in Salt Lake City yesterday. This was the condition of the room he was seen in. Very unprofessional, unsanitary and disrespectful. Please retweet. Maybe @ realDonaldTrump will see it."
VA Salt Lake City responded to the incident Saturday saying the room appears to be where casts are applied to patients with diabetic ulcers, according to KUTV.
KUTV also writes that the VA Salt Lake City's chief of staff Dr. Karen Gribbin responded and apologized for Wilson's experience. She took notes that may help with an investigation.
"I was taken aback by the condition of the room," she said. "Mr. Wilson should not have been placed in that room in that condition."
In a thread on Twitter, Stephen Wilson wrote that the VA clinic in Salt Lake City will "review policies" and they said that "sometimes medicine is messy."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dirty-veterans-affairs-clinic-room-salt-lake-city-utah-viral-photos-apology/
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This is why Sen. Jon Tester (Chairman of Veterans Affairs) was able to torpedo President Trump's nominee to head the VA, with nothing but anonymous sources making wild accusations (some have already been proven false) and none of those still unknown accusers ever had to come forward and answer questions. Even Republicans were quite willing to let that particular nomination die.
The question then becomes why?
This little article may help to understand. Better still, have you ever visited someone at a VA Hospital? Maybe you would notice the lack of concern by staff for the patients or even the lack of energy of the staff. Much different than what you might find at a private Hospital. Newly elected President Donald Trump found out how hard it was to fire, replace or reprimand anyone, especially the leadership of the VA.
That's the answer:
It has long ago become a deep state protected kingdom and everyone in the club wants it to stay just as it is!
The question then becomes why?
Poor choice of a candidate for starters it would appear.
We will never know. The accusers are unknown, their accusations unproven. The perfect man for the VA would be an outsider - one who would clean house!
Why are you trying to equate a dirty room with Testors and John Isakson R-GA with a nominee that wasn't properly vetted?
The WH screwed up. If they had done their homework they would have known that there might be a problem with the nominee. Trying to put the blame on others is a tactic used when you screw up.
Better yet, have you Vic ever been a patient at a VA clinic or hospital. I have been many times going back to the 60's. And I'm also an advocate for my son, a 100% disabled Marine that has been and will be for the rest of his life dependent on the VA and it's care.
I call BS on your comment above and I'm speaking from real life experience. Are there mistakes at the VA and can it be improved, of course it can. But it also serves millions of vets with outstanding care and results.
As far as private hospitals go have you ever researched the problems at these hospitals. The number of deaths and mis diagnosis at the private hospitals. Or in some cases the complete lack of concern. I would suggest that you do before attacking something that it seems you have little experience with.
Here is a link to get you started on the problems with private hospitals.
You can call it what you want and your personal experiences with the VA might have been great, I'm glad, but the FACTS are overwhelmingly on my side my side:
As I stated above there can and should be improvements at the VA...
My experiences starting in the 1960's were not the best, but I've seen massive improvements since then. My sons experience has been excellent. His disabilities are severe both physically and mentally (TBI, PTSD, paralyzed arm and leg).
Good, we agree.
My sons experience has been excellent. His disabilities are severe both physically and mentally (TBI, PTSD, paralyzed arm and leg).
I'm sorry to hear that. Can we agree that he deserves the very best?
Vic, there is no argument that the VA can be improved. I've never cut them any slack when they screw up.
Yes, we can agree that my son and every vet deserves the best of care. From the moment that he was WIA by a suicide bomber he has received outstanding care.
If there is a problem with the nominee then the last administration should have said something about it being he worked as physician with them.
The last administration didn't nominate him for head of the VA....Two very different positions, Jeremy.
BTW, the room was a disgrace as was the comment from Wilson. The CoS was the only one that faced the problem head on.
People from that last administration have lined up to defend him. Where are the accusers????
But he was put into position as the White House doctor BY the last administration.
Since your doing your best to make it some kind of conspiracy against the Admiral, you might want to ask the republicans that didn't rush to support him.
That is true bugsy, but it was this administration that nominated him for Secretary of the VA.
They are part of it too. I'm sure some of the 341,000 VA employees got their jobs from Republican politicians as well as democratic ones. There is the President alone taking on this problem.
Oh please if the President is the only one taking this on he should have been better prepared as should his nominee...He has no experience in managing an organization anywhere near as large as the VA. That should have been something that the WH and his backers should have been prepared to address.
Neither you nor I have any idea what is or isn't true on the accusations regarding drinking/drugs/toxic work enviroment..That's what a conformation hearing is about.
Then that should have been the argument against this nominee and it should have been done with a hearing. All I ask for at the head of the VA is somebody willing AND ABLE to clean house
Vic, his lack of experience was one of the first things brought up.
I would like to see someone heading the VA with high level managerial experience, and the skills to work in a system that is so large that it's close to being unmanageable.
I would like to see this person (whoever he or she may be) with Regional heads on the same page and all willing to go to the wall for the vets. One person isn't, by themselves, going to make the changes that are required. All of the regional directors must be on the same page as the Sec.
That by itself would have got him to the hearing. It was the unverified accusations which killed the nomination. What Testa did was character assassination. The accusers should been made to come forward, identify themselves and testify under oath. Does that sound fair?
I would like to see someone heading the VA with high level managerial experience, and the skills to work in a system that is so large that it's close to being unmanageable.
I'm ok with the managerial experience, but I would want someone from outside the VA.
I would like to see this person (whoever he or she may be) with Regional heads on the same page and all willing to go to the wall for the vets. One person isn't, by themselves, going to make the changes that are required. All of the regional directors must be on the same page as the Sec.
Agreed and IMO that would require replacing the Regional heads. I'm looking for major change not tweeks
Do you mean by outside the VA as not being a military person?
It wasn't just John Testor, he was supported by the head of the committee , a republican.
The problem with them coming forward is that there will be repercussions which I'm sure that they are aware of. In a perfect world, yes it would be fair.
No. I only mean not connected to the VA
Not connected as in a current position in the VA..I can go for that.
See how we actually agree! Let's hope we get someone sooner rather than later
The nominee worked for the last administration.
I'm aware of that Jeremy, thus my comment read that he was a doctor for the last administration and this administration nominated him for the sec of the VA...Two very different positions.
And you dont see the hypocricy. Although I'm not really surprised.
Positions are irrelevant. His CONDUCT is what was brought into question. Conduct that occurred while he worked for the Obama administration and nothing was said. Now they are trying to make this Trump's fault? Sorry, the Democrats own this.
And yet if the room had sat vacant until housekeeping eventually cleaned it thoroughly,
before the next messy cast, the patients would be rightfully complaining about a longer waiting period.
VA hospitals just can't win.
I worked in hospitals for ten years and never saw anything like that, nor have I heard hospital employees being that dismissive, and I had to do weekly roundings and the like as part of hospital leadership. That picture is pretty shocking and the dismissive response from Stephen Wilson even more so.
Agreed!
I've seen hasty aid stations in Iraq and Afghanistan that are far better than that. There is absolutely no excuse for taking a patient into a room in that condition.
Agreed.
That is horrible. If they treat a "room" like that one can only imagine how they treat patients, particularly, those who depend 100% on hospital staff for their well being.
Thank you for seeding this.
My Pleasure
I say fire some bureaucrats and hire some (competent) feet on the ground.
It's like pulling teeth, previously impossible
It is not who is running the VA from Washington, but the ones running a VA hospital. It is, also, the employees job to see that the facility is well taken of. You know, housekeeping, aides, nurses, etc. You can have anyone in Washington, but the regulations have to be followed by regular ole people and that's the problem.
Most don't get it. It's your sit on my ass person who didn't do their job. You know why they won['t be fired? Mostly, the people responsible are minorities and they know they won't be fired. I know all about that.
Things are already beginning to change:
The Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act passed by Congress earlier this month stre amlines the process to remove, demote, or suspend VA employees for poor performance or misconduct. In addition, it authorizes the VA secretary to recoup any bonuses awarded to employees who have acted improperly.
I don't have much faith on that. It will continue to be "man, we gotta stick together". "I got friends outside this place....better not fool with me".
It shouldn't have to take this new "law" for an administrator to follow the regulations. Every floor has a team captain and those team captains have a "boss" who oversees them. And, that boss has a boss. And, then, the Administrator.
That I'm sure of
It shouldn't have to take this new "law"
It shouldn't but these agencies have become all too powerful over the past few decades
It isn't the agency. It is the individual VA center that is not following regulations.
It needs review top to bottom
Well bless your little pee pickin' heart Magnoliaave..You, of course, have stat's or reports showing that it's those horrible minorities that are responsible for all the problems at the VA.
Following your line of bigoted thinking the vet's that are minorities are probably guilty of something or other. They couldn't possibly be good upstanding Americans willing to lay down their life for this country and protect some of the POS that inhabit the U.S. Probably did it for the ''free stuff'' that they get from your taxes.
Sadly Mags, this isn't the first time that you've made a bigoted/racist comment on NT. I don't expect it to be the last since you are a true daughter of the confederacy.
Gotta love the add-on as well.
Call it what you want to.
You know my stats, my verifications? Me!!!!! Yes, me!
Some should sweep around their own doors, first, and I am not referring to you. I am a liberal when it comes to any group of people and I call it the way it is and was for me. Went to our administrator when I worked on 3rd floor Oncology and reported the same stuff that I quoted. Nothing was done, so, I quit my job, but made an appointed with the VP of Human Resources at the hospital ....saw my record.....and there NEVER was any inquiry or note that I had gone to the Administrator. You won't find that in any statistics on record. This is only one instance as there were others. Poor me, huh? Check my personal record.
I am not squeaky clean. And, yes, I am darn proud to be a Southern.....through and through. Right is right and wrong is wrong and I don't care what color, religion you are. I am NOT PC....the truth is my PC.
So, according to you, I am racist! How about a bigot? I must be because I am Southern.
You have a great day! If you talk to your son today, please, tell him that I am thinking of him.
I am out of here! Enough!
DUH
Where in the hell did you get your thinking about my blaming vets: I am fuming.
Your glasses need to be checked.
Damnit, I am talking about hired workers in the VA Hospital who were hired to do a job. Got it?
Shit!
If you don'[t know by now that I am on your side, then, "f" it.
No more conversation with you ever again.
That's called anecdotal evidence and as such is not counted towards any meaningful research/statistics.
You worked for the VA? And you were a whistleblower?
Hospital.
True
Very good. Then your personal experience is just as valid as the experiences of others who posted here
Or, I would not have posted.
Uh, no offense to the seeder of this fine article. But, less than desirable conditions are becoming quite common in America's medical system.
I am Vietnam veteran. The VA facility I visit is definitely not like the one depicted in this story.
That's fine. I refer you back to the facts contained in Post # 2.1. Also remember that it was patients who were Veterans who have had different experiences and filed these complaints.
Anyone here have any experiences with the infamous Phoenix VA hospital?
Why don't you ask for vets that have been served at any VA facility. Hospital, clinic, mental health etc. That way you might get a better overall view of how good or bad the VA is. You know, kind of like a survey of private hospitals.
BTW, Mags didn't comment on the quality of care at a VA hospital nor what VA hospital it is that she worked at. The only thing that I saw in her comment was that the minorities were the problem.
I've already got, from you, others and my own experience a sample of other hospitals. I ask for that specific one because that is the one which has drawn so much attention.
BTW, Mags didn't comment on the quality of care at a VA hospital nor what VA hospital it is that she worked at.
If you look back at post # 7, her complaint was:
"It's your sit on my ass person who didn't do their job. You know why they won['t be fired? "
I don't know how you interpret that, but the way I see it, the problem highlighted was a lack of motivation and having too much job security. Everybody should be eligible to be removed for not doing their job.
The only thing that I saw in her comment was that the minorities were the problem.
Um-hum, ya, I'm sure that was your only take on it
Show me where she said anything about the care of patients Vic. Doctors, nurses, janitors who did what and why.
You didn't see that Vic, it's pretty plain in it meaning, yet you avoid it..Seems that your of the same mind...Sad.
Clearly she didn't give specific incidents, but she did say "they didn't do their jobs."
You didn't see that Vic,
yet you avoid it
Yes & Yes, Saw it and ya I did avoid it. I want to stay on topic. I don't want this to be about race. I don't know why she said it, but it was unfortunate. Let's keep it about fixing the VA
Here is a link that is quite interesting regarding the VA...
Agreed