Durham VA makes changes after troubling waiting room photos
http://abc11.com/news/durham-va-makes-changes-after-troubling-waiting-room-photos/1783334/
Officials at the Durham VA hospital said Friday changes have been made after troubling photos of the facility’s waiting room were posted to Facebook.
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The couple that posted the photos said they witnesses older vets being mistreated and ignored during lengthy waits for service. One photo showed a veteran in pain lying on the floor.
Director Deanne Seekins told reporters video from the waiting room has been reviewed and it has been determined that three things could have been done better.
“Veterans come to us in their most vulnerable moments – when they are sick and at times in excruciating pain,” Seekins explained. “They deserve a safe and comfortable place while waiting for care and to be treated respectfully at all times. Our review of the incident has brought to light some additional steps that we will take to improve the comfort of the Emergency Department.”
Seekins said they’re going to add recliners to the waiting room and improve their “surge plan” when things get busy to include juice and snacks.
READ DIRECTOR DEANNA SEEKINS’ FULL STATEMENT HERE
The changes also came with an apology.
“I’m also committed to ensuring that if we have failures in performance that we address them properly and with the vet’s well-being at the center of our decisions. I personally apologize for a breakdown in customer service this past weekend,” offered Nurse Executive Dr. Greg Eagerton.
The investigation also turned up rude behavior by a nurse. We’re told that person has been disciplined, but we haven’t been told how.
The veteran who brought the allegations, Steve McMenamin, says he’s not satisfied with the changes announced.
“It’s something to show the public, to quiet the public down, but I think there are still a lot of changes that need to happen,” McMenamin said. “They listened to us because they had to. The way things were going at first, they really, really wanted to shut us up. Now that they can’t, I think they’re trying to appease the people more or less.”
McMenamin said the changes announced Friday don’t address root causes of problems, but rather treat the symptoms.
“This is more of a bandaid over the cut and we need to treat the cut,” he said.
“The doctors that we got treated by that night were top notch,” McMenamin said. “We got everything we needed once we got there, but the wait time, seven hours for us was pretty substantial for about a 5 minute visit with the doctor. What’s in question here is not the doctor, it’s what happened before the doctor, with the nursing staff and the wait times. I mean, guys laying on the floor because it’s their only option. It’s not a good option.”
Filed under: General Problems
Oh, well, they apologized and are now going to offer juice, snacks and recliners. How wonderful. I’m sorry, but heads should have rolled from the top on down. (The director should have been the first head to roll just due to her passive-aggressive litigation threat towards the couple who posted these pictures for possible HIPAA violations. I should mention that the couple who posted these pictures spoke to each of these vets, got their permission to post but still made sure to protect their privacy by blurring their faces out).
Reading many comments from vets and loved ones, this type of deplorable treatment from that specific VA facility has been going on for awhile. Some who lost their loved ones due to the severe neglect from this hospital commented on various articles and facebook posts. Many also commented that they complained to those in charge of this hospital, including making complaints to the director herself. Nothing. Was. Done.
The simple fact is nothing would have changed had this couple not posted the pics showing the neglect. That’s pathetic and sad. I know that VA facilities are understaffed and equipped with old, broken hospital supplies, equipment, etc (which says it all about the way our government feels about the very ones who sacrificed so much) and I know there are some compassionate, caring nurses, nurses’ aids and doctors who work in the VA facilities and are doing the best they can with what they have, but it doesn’t cost a penny to show just a little compassion and empathy, whether it be from a nurse, a nurse’s aid, or those who work in admissions.
I don’t know why our government (states and federal) continue to allow this to go on, but this has truly got to stop. It’s like people continue to keep their heads in the sand, making excuses, playing dumb … or do they just not care about our veterans? This is the first story in a long time that the major media picked up and reported. There have been quite a few suicides from older veterans lately. Those stories have not been picked up by the major media, most likely, because it doesn’t fit their agenda of continuing to stay the government’s main propaganda machine.
What about the elderly vet who died from sepsis and a maggot-infested, deeply infected wound? (This was a different VA facility). For 3 weeks, he laid in a hospital bed while nurses begged the head doctor(s) to order a morphine pump so they could properly administer wound therapy. The head doctor(s) (actually, I think it was the director who actually had okay the morphine pump) ignored their pleas. This same director received tens of thousands of dollars worth of bonus that same year. How in the hell is that even possible???!! It’s criminal!! It will also continue to happen until we, the people, start taking videos and pics when we see this type of horrific treatment.