Veterans' health care needs improvement
An editorial from the St. George Spectrum:
July 10, 2008
Our nation's veterans put their lives on the line to protect Americans and U.S. allies. They did their duty at the expense of time with family and friends, as well as their own well being.
It seems only fair that they not get the run-around when they seek health care after being discharged from military service. But too often, veterans are getting directed to clinics hundreds of miles away for routine procedures that they should receive right here in Southern Utah.
The problems associated with inefficiency within Veterans Affairs was one of the subjects approached last week during a visit to the region by Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah. He met with veterans in St. George to discuss the issues they were facing in hopes of resolving the problems. On the positive side, VA representatives from both Las Vegas and Salt Lake City attended, and case workers were on site to assist.
That's a positive step toward resolving what can only be described as bureaucracy getting in the way of common sense. Southern Utah falls in the Salt Lake VA region. So, for many procedures, veterans are forced to travel to Northern Utah when Las Vegas is much closer.
In some cases, veterans were told to travel to Las Vegas for routine blood tests when they could just as easily had blood drawn here.
More work must be done to ensure that VA workers on the front lines understand the agreements reached to make things easier for the men and women who once wore U.S. military uniforms. Eliminating unnecessary travel to Salt Lake City or Las Vegas is a good start in solving the problem.
The next step should be for the VA system to truly aim for efficiency. But the VA can't do it alone.
If medical procedures can be done at one of the hospitals or clinics in St. George or Cedar City, for example, why make veterans travel - even to Las Vegas - to have them performed?
This will require cooperation from Intermountain Healthcare and other medical providers. In many cases, these organizations have shown a willingness to assist.
By utilizing the available resources, veterans wouldn't have to travel away two hours or more to get the care they were promised when they signed up or, in some cases, were drafted to defend our country. Such a plan would save in fuel costs, while also reducing wait times for veterans who live in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas by eliminating some appointments from Southern Utah veterans.
A complex project to complete? Yes. But it's one worth exploring if it's possible to save time and money while also boosting care for veterans.
READ REACTIONS TO THIS STORY
MikeGale wrote:
This is an important message. All veterans should be Contacting thier Legislater's, Congressmen, Representives. Please let them know just how badly we need a vet center here in Southern Utah. We now have over 20,000 Veterans in this area the little Vet Clinic is just to small. The staff there is great but the working space is a joke. People are walking all over each other trying to serve the Veterans. Please contact your Government officials and let them know just how deplorable the situation is.
Thank You
Mike Gale
