can walter reed happen here?
tampafilmfanWatching recent news reports about the deplorable conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center made me wonder about the state of local resources for veterans.
From what I could find, we have the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, with various outpatient clinics in several counties; the Dunedin VA Primary Care Clinic; the St. Petersburg VA Primary Care Clinic; counseling centers the St. Petersburg Vet Center and the Tampa Vet Center; and the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans’ Nursing Home in Land O’Lakes, which is run by the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
I’ve never been to any of these facilities and don’t know anything about them. My sister, who has been classified by the Navy as 10% disabled due to injuries sustained during her military service, drives to a VA hospital over an hour away (not in the Tampa Bay area) from her Georgia home for regular pain-block treatments. She has found the hospital staff to be pleasant, the price (free) affordable, and the wait for an appointment — usually several months — difficult and frustrating. I wonder what local vets are experiencing?
Senator Bill Nelson brought up the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital at a recent Senate Armed Services Center hearing, citing delays in veterans with brain injuries receiving rehabilitation. In an interesting coincidence, the Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans is hosting its national town hall meeting regarding the future of veterans’ programs in Tampa on March 14. The meeting, scheduled from 7-9 p.m., is free and open to the public and will be webcast. The commission, which is not affiliated with or responsible to Congress, the President or the VA, will visit veterans’ health administration facilities in Tampa March 12-14. The commission will inspect various facilities over the next year and expects to issue its report and recommendations in May 2008.
I hope this story has a happy ending.
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March 12th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
Bay Pines conditions and other problems have been in the news the last few years for scandals and poor service among other things.
Not saying it’s Walter Reed but with how big the scandal was at the time — I’d consider it our own Walter Reed.