Walter Reed...

[Charade]

I'm sure by now that most have heard about the abysmal conditions and treatment at Walter Reed. Many in Congress seemed stunned by the deteriorated conditions. My question is, if this wasn't something that happened overnight and that some people who were directly affected by this had previously contacted their elected officials, why the stunned reaction by Congress? IOW, why is this hot news now and why didn't it get addressed before?

 

[Chuck S]

It should have been addressed. The building should have been renovated the minute we started getting injured troops returning from the Middle East. The Pentagon (and if you follow the buck stops here philosophy...the Bush administration as a whole) screwed up.

Why was it allowed to deteriorate in the first place? Probably because the space was unused for ages, it is only during this administration that we've had this large a quantity soldiers wounded. I would assume that the Pentagon did not foresee the need for that building, and it probably would have been torn down in a few years...but then 9-11 happened, and the War on Terror was begun.

Are federally owned buildings, like the one in question, subject to local periodic building inspections? If so, why wasn't this reported or the building declared unfit by whatever dep't handles that in DC?

 

[Charade]

It should have been addressed. The building should have been renovated the minute we started getting injured troops returning from the Middle East. The Pentagon (and if you follow the buck stops here philosophy...the Bush administration as a whole) screwed up.

Why was it allowed to deteriorate in the first place? Probably because the space was unused for ages, it is only during this administration that we've had this large a quantity soldiers wounded. I would assume that the Pentagon did not foresee the need for that building, and it probably would have been torn down in a few years...but then 9-11 happened, and the War on Terror was begun.

I wasn't attempting to assign or deflect blame. But we've been using it for at least 3 years now if it was unused for years prior. I'm only asking why is this news NOW as I'm sure the first soldiers to go there experienced the same conditions as today. Besides the people who run the place, there has to be someone in the adminstration AND congress that were also aware.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I think a big reason is that 3 or 4 years ago the system wasn't as overloaded as it is now. 5 years ago a soldier wouldn't have to wait more than a year(hopefully) for some help to access VA benefits. I think part of it just boils down to lack of preparedness.

As for people not knowing, I'm sure that someone did but I also think that Congress and other Powers that be weren't shown the whole story. If they came to tour, I'm sure only the best stories/soldiers were paraded out and that the visitors were not touring the whole place. Blame goes everywhere for this.

 

[Chuck S]

Besides the people who run the place, there has to be someone in the adminstration AND congress that were also aware.

Common sense would lead us to believe so. But, I also agree agree with lovemygoofy, there was a cover up by someone in charge of Walter Reed, and the touring Congress members and administration personnel were simply shown "the good stuff." Surely the command at Walter reed should have known the condition of the building, and the people in charge of maintenance and housing HAD to have known.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

Most buildings in DC have no guildlines or standards to be followed or checked.

When I worked in some of the Federal building they did so many things against OSHA regulations it was not even funny. I was then told several times we don't have to follow any of those just fix it.
Thank goodness i didn't have to help them that much as I would have been fired for not doing my job under those circumstances.

 

[momof2inPA]

I've watched a little of the hearings, and apparently they've really let things go in anticipation of Walter Reed closing. In addition, they privatized a whole slew of government jobs, and that cost cutting has also affected care. Eleanor Holmes Norton ( who've I've met-- nice and determined lady ) made some good points about this issue.

 

[C.Ann]

Probably the same reason that they never looked into the VA hospital here that was falsifying patients records and killing them with unnecessary or incorrect cancer treatments - until someone leaked it to the press and lawsuits were filed..

They have been looking the other way for years - and will continue to do so unless the pressure is kept on via the media.. The one thing they don't like is bad press..

 

[bsnyder]

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/..._to_push_walter_reed_story_in_their_districts

House Dems To Push Walter Reed Story At VA Hospitals In Their Districts
By Greg Sargent | bio
This is interesting: House Dem leaders are suggesting to members that they raise the issue of conditions of veterans' hospitals in their districts as a way of localizing the Walter Reed scandal and keeping public attention focused on it, a House Dem caucus source tells us.

At their weekly closed-door Monday meeting with the press secretaries of House Dems today, House caucus aides suggested to the assembled flacks that their members tour their local Veterans hospitals and look into the conditions there, the source says. "The idea is, `Here's a great opportunity to localize the story, to bring it home, as another failure of the Bush administration towards the troops,'" the source says.

"It was, `Here's a good way to talk about this publicly and get the issue in the paper, here's a tight message,'" the source continues. "Dems want to be branded as the people who support the troops. Republicans don't support the troops. Here's a perfect case study in that."

A second caucus source adds, "The purpose of this is not just to keep it in the spotlight, but to really ensure you're keeping up with going on at your local VA hospitals, stressing that Democrats are the party that does support the troops." So if you suddenly see more coverage of this in your local papers, now you'll understand why.

 

[SwedishMeatball]

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/..._to_push_walter_reed_story_in_their_districts

House Dems To Push Walter Reed Story At VA Hospitals In Their Districts
By Greg Sargent | bio
This is interesting: House Dem leaders are suggesting to members that they raise the issue of conditions of veterans' hospitals in their districts as a way of localizing the Walter Reed scandal and keeping public attention focused on it, a House Dem caucus source tells us.

At their weekly closed-door Monday meeting with the press secretaries of House Dems today, House caucus aides suggested to the assembled flacks that their members tour their local Veterans hospitals and look into the conditions there, the source says. "The idea is, `Here's a great opportunity to localize the story, to bring it home, as another failure of the Bush administration towards the troops,'" the source says.

"It was, `Here's a good way to talk about this publicly and get the issue in the paper, here's a tight message,'" the source continues. "Dems want to be branded as the people who support the troops. Republicans don't support the troops. Here's a perfect case study in that."

A second caucus source adds, "The purpose of this is not just to keep it in the spotlight, but to really ensure you're keeping up with going on at your local VA hospitals, stressing that Democrats are the party that does support the troops." So if you suddenly see more coverage of this in your local papers, now you'll understand why.

Great idea if it improves things for our Vets, but shame on them if their motivation is to lay all the blame at Bush's feet.

 

[Nancyg56]

Probably the same reason that they never looked into the VA hospital here that was falsifying patients records and killing them with unnecessary or incorrect cancer treatments - until someone leaked it to the press and lawsuits were filed..

They have been looking the other way for years - and will continue to do so unless the pressure is kept on via the media.. The one thing they don't like is bad press..

I was going to point that out. The patient care was terrible, veterans sent home who should have been admitted but were not. I had to enlist a visiting nurse to help me to get an elderly man admitted because they kept sending him home. My BIL is an ER doc and he said he had never seen anything like it.In the hosp he works in it would have been a no-brainer!


The people in our legislature know the conditions in the VA hospitals around the country. They were just surprised the same existed at Walter Reed.

 

[DawnCt1]

The same situation occurred at Ft. Stewart a couple of years ago. In patients' accommodations seem to be fine, its the outpatient situation that has been bad at both places. One of the problems that seem to exist is that there are few docs that can conduct a board of review so the cases can be dispatched and they get stuck in the system for outpatient care. When my brother was injured in Afghanistan he opted for care at Beth Israel. It was approved by the Army. He had his surgery and outpatient care there with follow up at the nearest base for disposition. It is possible to get out of the system but you have to be proactive. Being proactive is hard for an inexperienced soldier or a soldier who has depended upon the Army to take care of them. It needs to be fixed. It will take more docs to make it happen however.

 

[Charade]

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/..._to_push_walter_reed_story_in_their_districts

House Dems To Push Walter Reed Story At VA Hospitals In Their Districts
By Greg Sargent | bio
This is interesting: House Dem leaders are suggesting to members that they raise the issue of conditions of veterans' hospitals in their districts as a way of localizing the Walter Reed scandal and keeping public attention focused on it, a House Dem caucus source tells us.

At their weekly closed-door Monday meeting with the press secretaries of House Dems today, House caucus aides suggested to the assembled flacks that their members tour their local Veterans hospitals and look into the conditions there, the source says. "The idea is, `Here's a great opportunity to localize the story, to bring it home, as another failure of the Bush administration towards the troops,'" the source says.

"It was, `Here's a good way to talk about this publicly and get the issue in the paper, here's a tight message,'" the source continues. "Dems want to be branded as the people who support the troops. Republicans don't support the troops. Here's a perfect case study in that."

A second caucus source adds, "The purpose of this is not just to keep it in the spotlight, but to really ensure you're keeping up with going on at your local VA hospitals, stressing that Democrats are the party that does support the troops." So if you suddenly see more coverage of this in your local papers, now you'll understand why.

Hmm... why weren't they touring their VA hosiptals before the WR story broke?

 

[GoldenGate]

http://select.nytimes.com/2007/03/05/opinion/05krugman.html?hp

 

[C.Ann]

Hmm... why weren't they touring their VA hosiptals before the WR story broke?

---------------------

That's a good question.. Don't most regular (civilian) hospitals have inspections on a regular basis?

I'm glad it's all over the news now, let's just hope they actually DO something about these hospitals, as opposed to a lot of "lip service" and "feel good" promises..

 

[sugarpie]

My uncle lost both his legs in Vietnam. My mom would always tell me how awful the conditions were for the returning soldiers. She said it was the most horrific thing she'd ever seen.

Here we are again. I just don't understand why we don't learn from our mistakes.

If we're going to send people to war, we should be prepared to take care of them when they're injured. It really makes me mad.

 

[NELSON]

Democrat presidential contender Sen. Hillary Clinton today decried the allegedly poor conditions, stifling bureaucracy and negligent care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and throughout the VA healthcare system, but added, “Just think how bad it would be if it weren’t a government run system.”

As military patients and their spouses testified before a Senate panel about vermin-infested, moldy rooms, neglect and miles of red tape, Sen. Clinton told reporters, “This crisis serves only to highlight our desperate need for a tax-funded, government-managed universal healthcare system for all Americans.”

“When I’m president,” she said, “I’ll give the average American the same excellent quality of care we now provide for our nation’s heroes…but without the rats, mold and bureaucracy. I’ll sign legislation outlawing that kind of inefficiency, mismanagement and public employee apathy.”

 

[Charade]

Democrat presidential contender Sen. Hillary Clinton today decried the allegedly poor conditions, stifling bureaucracy and negligent care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and throughout the VA healthcare system, but added, “Just think how bad it would be if it weren’t a government run system.”

As military patients and their spouses testified before a Senate panel about vermin-infested, moldy rooms, neglect and miles of red tape, Sen. Clinton told reporters, “This crisis serves only to highlight our desperate need for a tax-funded, government-managed universal healthcare system for all Americans.”

“When I’m president,” she said, “I’ll give the average American the same excellent quality of care we now provide for our nation’s heroes…but without the rats, mold and bureaucracy. I’ll sign legislation outlawing that kind of inefficiency, mismanagement and public employee apathy.”

 

[Galahad]

I think the imminent closing consideration makes sense given the way the Military operates. When DW was assigned to Walter Reed during the first Gulf War, she actually worked at Bethesda rather than Walter Reed. She would go over to WR several times a week though, and was amazed at the difference in the two facilities. But at bottom, the Military, for all of the good it does and for all its members love it, is just the biggest and most inefficient of all the big and inefficient government bureaucracies.

 

[Nancyg56]

Democrat presidential contender Sen. Hillary Clinton today decried the allegedly poor conditions, stifling bureaucracy and negligent care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and throughout the VA healthcare system, but added, “Just think how bad it would be if it weren’t a government run system.”

As military patients and their spouses testified before a Senate panel about vermin-infested, moldy rooms, neglect and miles of red tape, Sen. Clinton told reporters, “This crisis serves only to highlight our desperate need for a tax-funded, government-managed universal healthcare system for all Americans.”

“When I’m president,” she said, “I’ll give the average American the same excellent quality of care we now provide for our nation’s heroes…but without the rats, mold and bureaucracy. I’ll sign legislation outlawing that kind of inefficiency, mismanagement and public employee apathy.”

Yeah....it will all change....just elect me.


This is nothing new and there is no way legislators could be unaware of the problems in their own states. I remember the VA hospital n CT having deplorable conditions 20 years ago when my DH father was there..so bad that my DH insisted that he move to Hartford hospital, and now 20 years later VA DR's allowing old veterans who have no one left at home to care for them go home when any other hospital would have admitted them.

I understand that with the number of injured soldiers coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan there is a spotlight on the lack of care they are receiving, but we have veterans from the previous wars who have been forgotten. What is particularly painful to accept is that these dedicated men and women do not complain. They accept the care....at any level....and are grateful for it.



I think that the people we elect are obligated to ensure that the promises we make to our military upon enlistment are kept. It is so disingenuous to jump on the bandwagon saying it will change if the watch changes.