Transcripts For CSPAN2 Key Capitol Hill Hearings 20140926

Heart doctor. I survived through prayer. Not v. A. Back pain since 2004 with bulging disks and a torn spleen. Have asked for two years for acupuncture. I finally have a great doctor. And i am grateful. But as i talk i said i have paid for my acupuncture every week it is 75 because mentally i could not take the pain but i do not receive any help he said i have a copy of my medical records five times paid in person and requested acupuncture. By primarycare physician followed through. She sent it to the pain clinic and never heard from them. Is falling on deaf ears. But i would like to say one other thing. I empowered myself over the v. A. I dont have any money for acupuncture but i saved myself and i had to. The other thing my primary care physician at the clinic since i have been coming here half the time she does not have a nurse she is overwhelmed and overworked and limited buy you guys. I go to primary care personally ask and still need acupuncture to get me through once a week they tell me come back in march march 20156 months from now. It will be two years. If he does stand together please all be a v. A. Veteran stan together and we can win. A man. [applause] good evening and chief petty officer retired and is one of the first womens day let into construction. Not that we can get the boys did not want us there. How many Women Veterans are here . Please identify yourself. According to my friend that sent me information about this meeting from oregon most are probably here in phoenix but where are they . I am not going there. The men that we served with war now vietnams veterans treats the women like crap if you hear me and dont like that bennett own it. There is a gentleman in this room right now that treated me like crap. Act like a man and i will treat you like a man and i was called a dyke. Were still treated like crap. I grew up barbie and they laughed on all the bases they were whores or sluts court dyke. If one or two does it does not fit to all of us. We come to v. A. And urges respected and are disrespect did. That needs to stop i am told i will not treat you i dont like your tone of voice parker was a drill instructor and a navy carpenter. I worked with the boys. I am not a little thing who talks like that. With that statement came from a physicians assistant that i made a complaint in we were told we are sorry but she is still working their abusing people. I had to go out of town to get treated because this person would not and did not like my tone of voice. I cannot change it. One other thing the patients advocate is named karen as the military veteran has bested her but to be a patient advocate. But nothing is done above her bet i saw her last month getting frustrated with veterans because she is so overwhelmed their no over here on the first floor they were moved a yearandahalf ago because they were too small but now theyre back with the same thing again. The last representative left she tried to get a permanent job in they would not hire hershey got another one in mesa. Of a good one. With this v. A. Said no. She cared too much. 5m i had to take a friend of mine in a wheelchair. Talking crazy i had to force the person she had to see to see her and said something is wrong. This is not her. Do a test. Then i had to force the person help me to wheel her chair to the emergency room because the one here will not accept a patient on the property if they get sick i was called told call the ambulance or you can bring her around to another hospital before she can be brought here. The end result . Heard doctors over medicated her. They said she did it on purpose. She has a personal living with her watching every bit they had her upstairs for a weekend at half and i had to advocate for her there. Did you check this . That is of female veterans are treated. One of the nurses decided to infect both tonsils and not have gloves on with the swab test. So i was put on the secondfloor. The room was filled the it had not been cleaned i was supposed to share a bathroom and it was filthy before i could even walking in there my tonsils well up i was told get in bet we will send a somebody. They entire hospital is chelsea the only reason this one is halfway cleaning it is brand new. My friend was put in a bet that was broken and ripped sheets. We are veterans there are pictures of thatso going to the i. G. And others that are complaining. With that is how Women Veterans are treated. Eric is nof1compassion by the people that work in this building new are just a body to get through the next one to go home. I am a senior and listed individual i did not get there by putting up with people scrap but i have had to bite my tongue in here because no offense but the gestapo is called. That means the police because them the button has been pushed. You dont even know then you are surrounded. We did not like your tone of voice. Just do my blood pressure. These people that work in those front offices they stop you do whatever they can to irritate you to keep you from being treated because they are overloaded. Or they dont belong here. They say really what veterans in those spots may be baser 22 years and got out because they cannot handle it. What about those who put their lives of the wine line . , doesnt mean you should sit behind the hiring dusk. Put ptsd against ptsd you get fire. Is that not true . You are laughing because you know,. Diabetic. Diabetics. I have a series of taking so many blood test now we will tell you that you are prediabetic. How come you did not tell me that before . Now you tell me . How did that happen . Because it is in my family . I dont know. I have gone through the glasses and guess what i am smart enough to know and i have the masters i have researchedyj this place right now is teaching the wrong information route diabetic control and killing me by giving me by saying that i can still eat bread. Just graves throughout the day. That kills your pancreas and makes it worse. You dont have upgraded information on diabetes. And 01 nutritionist is being told to tell people and it is wrong. Like the one gentleman talked about his diabetes because of the misdiagnoses. I can be proactive and be healthy but what about those veterans that cannot . When did that take the initiative are seen as negative a neat person theyre so good in that is how theyre treated. We are not necessarily those prima donnas in rio not there for your sexual pleasure but that is what they think there is called military sexual trauma and how many know about that . For . Three . Then you come here to get harassed. The guys look at the women going by. But it still goes on. So that stuff needs to stop. 59,000 women. Where are they . They dont want to come here. O last friday and this friday i could have gone home and had a fine evening but i didnt because there is a woman is indeed and i saw that she was navy. I said come with me i brought her back i got her through the steps nobody else would help you hasnt anybody v. A. Told you . Know but i have been trying nobody helps me. That means the of clinics those phreaking guard dogs they have no compassion. They dont do anything. That was last friday. Thifq friday since 12 00 today i saw a family in need of a father in a wheelchair taking him away from here to get him to michigan the daughter had to get him he could not get his medications because the supervisor for the pill pushers said he can only have one madison we have been waiting 30 days already. And then to say it has not been shipped. Know all this said in my computer does not print that . To÷g say this is what you need. Said daughter was about to flip out of us telling her to calm down you dont want them to call the cops. The father was getting upset how can you be called when they run you between clinics . Nobody in this place gave the dam. She said i cannot do anything because the father was then the uphill push airline. That is his advocate. I could not see that i just follow policy. She is caught. She cannot do anything. I have the phone number. They dont want to hear about it. She left in tears telling me how bad and nasty and a dirty this v. A. Is. They treat us good up there that is why we take him out of here. That doesnt say much for anybody. I have had people do passive aggressive behavior they dont like you or the way you sound like some day get back at you. They will stop you cannot give the doctor the paperwork they say he is not allowed. What . H doctors signature. What does that mean . Unless you are from a foreign country the doctor should sign that. They have been told theyre not allowed to sign anything said doctors themselves told me that. What the hell . Ptsd i was taken out because now we have to take care of the new veterans. Excuse me. I was your first. That it is in the chair but that is the level they take you. Bear with me. Valet parking at what nobody touching my blasted vehicle. It is baddie in half the people around here i now want a volunteer to take my vehicle somewhere when it has my a medication and my stuff that i know that i need and tell me i cannot park my own vehicle . Put that in your sock. Now one of the things about parking there is a bunch of fans valens serve vans vans vans everywhere patients should begin in doctors take spots off of the night shift to save them for their counterpart they will switch the parking lot so the date people could have the spots of the veterans. Doctors that come here to visit i have seen them do this i got up from. Veterans park up front it is so long ways from the back lot. Those little cards are not that is inefficient and god bless those volunteers. But they can only do so much. I spent to fridays your and i found out about this meeting that is high in politics. Where did you get this . I have had several sets and we will have a big sign by the elevator. Where is everybody at . The veterans i told said i had plans. And they will have of womens veterans fair the upstairs i think. Not very clear. Did you know, that . We are secondclass or worse citizens if somebody thinks that is funny then leave the room. I have walked women through boot camp. You are strong women dont but stuff have been. My strongest records in charge at night while i am gone was beat up and raped. Downtrodden and she is not the sameg  individual. When will these atrocities stop . I have compassion for both but the women have it the worst. I have busted my but and was shit by guys who could not pass their tester could not read. They try to make me look bad. It did not work. But some of the women in here they are the queue to girls and looked at us like we are live in military we are a different breed. That doesnt mean we dont clean up nuys. But i rode my motorcycle tonight. But i am sure somebody is saying dyke. Dyke. Dyke there is someone standing here. Had you guys heard the new catch phrase . This is there excuse you talk to them and called them could you wait . I told this gentleman waiting to go to patients advocate an end to employees talk about personal off work stuff. The phone would ring but it is never picked up because people talk about personal stuff on their own time. They say can you hold . Just so they can talk about personal stuff again when they were done there would finally answer the phone again. That was the first time i heard hear the phrase i use are were helping save that. M i chopped liver . What about the other veterans . Whether you doing when you tell us . [inaudible] people think we make this up. [inaudible] i am just making sure i did not forget anything. Your emergency room is a joke. They tell you wait to see your primarycare doctor. Then you will be there all n,tsjjt. The last time i was in there because the clinton notes please send my a system accidentally left my phone in the car but the idiot said you cannot get your phone. It is right there. I got a parking space it was fourth of july. I could not call my family or friends or the person who had the keys to my house i was in limbo almost three days than it looked at my medical records they say was only one night. Fraudulent. Why do they make it fraudulent . What does it hurt oneandahalf 43 . I know what kind of games they play but the doctors are behind their computer. In the patients sit there and sit there. Heart problems. I have been told just tell them that you have that problem right off. They dont care. You see a physician assistant. They dont have any trading. Training. Because you make big money. You make a lot more than the rest of us made. How many officers and above are in here . One officer, two officers. Well, the rest of us are enlisted and we dont make that money. Even if you get paid by the va you are not making that kind of money but they wouldnt put up with that kind of care and we have to. Wrong. Zero kind one of the gentleman that died out about 40, he was on the va bowling league, he and his son. They took an old vietnam veteran man, put a pacemaker in his heart in this hospital and sent him home. They didnt keep him overnight for observation. His son found him the next morning dead and i am sure he would have been saved if they would have kept him overnight. The commercial thats on tv now with the ladies talking about the guy, her brother or somebody who committed suicide because this Emergency Rooms that ocoee dont have any beds for you. Golay home home and lay down and come back when you feel better. Look up that hallway, theres a ton of beds and i have always been there. At one point and this is from people of your staff, those beds were moved because karen didnt want them there but now that shes gone they are back. I heard that the day before yesterday. They are back. They hide them for their purposes and when they dont need them hidden anymore they bring them out. Thats not a storeroom. Thats a hallway. Thats a hallway out that door. I went to the wrong room. They are in there. There are samore down that hallway to go straight up. They were there an hour ago, two hours ago see you found another spot they are hiding them. Excellent. So gentlemen. Gentleman what are we going to do about this . We can say all they want about stand together. We dont have the money to fight it. Most people dont have the energy to even stand up here. I spent to fridays helping to different sets of sets and their families and its not the first time ive done it but these are the most recent and they cant get help by anybody in this facility. Fellow veterans, everyone in this room here is a veteran or a veterans advocate. Mr. Cortie, cortie excuse me i have been involved with this hospital since 1973 when i was released from Walter Reed Army hospital after 14 months. They were treating battle woun wounds, artificial arteries and my person. Im a three tour combat medic, minor search in trieste specialist. I work and airborne units, ranger recon units for 13 years of my military career and five years in the national guard. Im from the state of new hampshire. When i first came here because i have one long gone, they did not want me to be in the manchester Veterans Hospital because i was going to be dying of pneumonia because of the altitude. They sent me to a low altitude state which is arizona which i dearly love read when i first came here there were members in this room right now who will vouch that we had to actually fight the va system to get the posttraumatic stress clinic in. Not only that, we have people dying with 90day meds in their pockets committing suicide by overdosing. We finally got that squared aw away. I became the state commander of the amvets. Im also the International Commander of the proud eagles which are native american and nonnative american brothers called the wounded warriors. Since november of last year, and i might add this, i personally as commander have released hundreds of thousands of dollars for this hospital because we gave things for over 15 years. We are amvets. [applause] we still do the same thing now with all the paternal clubs. We had no parade in this town for us. We erected and put 12 in the bank with one member right now who in the final 37 cents. If you are my lion, raise your hand. We had 12 bucks. We got ahold of judy liddy. I happen to be the executive director for the Veterans Service commissioner which was countrymen. We came in and we asked them on the legislative committee that we would like to have a memorial built. Guess what . Not only do they get the Vietnam Veterans memorial built we commissioned we put on the biggest parade this town has served in. We had everybody including our own commanders who stood up there in line and said those were in my man right there. It was with general westmoreland and caspar weinberger. A hospital at that time was under rayborn. He works diligently to get us establish in this hospital. We did not let him down. We came back and did the things that were needed to raise the funds for certain programs that werent allocated by federal budgets. Theres one thing 1. 5 million of my complied raise. We want the logos, the seal of this country and the eagle is guardian being used as doormats outside of this hospital is a. Right now. We have sent a letter to the president and the video explaining to him that we would like to have those placed in a disgusting manner and placed in proper areas. I noticed yesterday, i looked at some of the guys nice to gee quiz we are in their left press pocket he they never did before and they are all wearing them now. All these patches you see on my chest here i have earned every single one of them just like this gentleman did here in his and there are 50 years between us. And 74 years old. I am dying of agent orange liver cancer caused by lead transfusions by the va. Im on a special and native diet and for the first time in two years they told me we couldnt find you ron, we thought you had died. I now have a good doctor and for the first time in two years ive got an appointment that said ron we have to put you on some 2000dollar a day drugs or you are going to die. I cant even receive that until i go through an Extensive Program of antibiotics because kidney shutdown, livers shut down. Ive only got partial use of one lung. I have artificial stents in my right leg, severed fingers and hands, 13inch scars down my chest from bayonet lens while i was out working on a veteran patient. I want to make this very clear, before i pass on to the great reward their amendments from that know me very well. The concepts are running this day since 19844. We are not a bunch of rabblerousers. We dont take people off the street. I am a member of the American Legion and the amvets. Im a state commander, and the regional commander and we would like to see before you leave to go back to washington glenn, i met you an elevator a month ago. I would like you to try to get those doormats taken off. We are at war with isis right now gentlemen and we need to protect that eagle and that flag which we have all blood for and thats the reason we are in this room right this moment. Im simply asking everyone here to stand and be counted to focus the removal of those signs you put on the walls. I have nothing more to say say and isolate you from the hard work you are doing and i see some changes already in medical personnel. That speaks what i wear and that medical badge. Thank you very much. God bless you and id belong to these gentlemen right over here. They are doing their very best to help you guys too and some of these things these people have been saying are absolutely right on the money. I am a federal investigative News Reporter and if i heard some of the stories and took them down they would be considered verbatim information. [applause] in order to sexily successfully implement the person before your position called me a disgruntled set and i asked her why cant we get these maps taken off and placed into propers positions where they should be and not on the floor . People are walking over them. Once you hit the door you are on top of them. We fought for them. They dont be used as doormats. They are the American Eagle and that one right there should be on the other side of you. I salute to the right. I never salute to the left. We want our independence. We want our flags removed to the proper positions. Thank you very much. Thank you. [applause] why is sharon homan receiving six figures on paid leave . Isnt it time to stop the clock . Stop the clock. Stop the clock. Hello my name is lisa United States navy. Lets see i probably wouldnt be in this position as i am today if i could have got an appointment in a prompt manner. I was told back in 2012 that i would have to wait nine months to a here before i could get an appointment with a primary provider. In the interim, i went ahead and went to utah. I also have property in utah. That was my biggest mistake. I got in there, the first day they said are you quote homicidal . I said no. First they asked are you suicidal and i said no. Are you homicidal . I said if you dont speak with me i will be. Thats not a threat and they did it in a joking manner but i was told by the va that i was considered obstructive as well as disruptive as well as quote accused of threatening va staff which is an absolute lie. Doctors, counselors, what a crock of number one. I used to work for the department of corrections so that was part of my problem right there. My house had been monitored and thats no imagination. Medical records will actually verify that where that information was only in my home. Not over the telephone. Ive had the Communication Company messing around for the last three and a half years playing little head games. Now i realize thats part of the discrediting aspect to will just say youre. Its a lot easier. On march 26 when i know longer had any legal action that i use for the doctors that mistreated me back in 2011 or the hospital i could go after, the va injected me and they said are you sure you were exposed to hepatitis c . I said i only know what i was told. I said i did treatment. And before i could say when they asked me that, i said are you sure . I said i only and dan i was given an injection. It was supposed to be a tetanus shot. It was supposed to be a whooping cough combination. No, it was a major megadose of hepatitis c and along with hepatitis c i was being exposed to hepatitis b1 with this position. But i realized the department of corrections have to do what they called damage control. At that point i said hey thats how i acquired it. But i dont appreciate the nonsense, the allies. I dealt with the advocates. They had already seen my recor records stolen my records from my home. They wanted me to say sexual trauma. You know i you know i dont know if email in the United States military that hasnt been sexually harassed. [applause] but its not like we are all jumping on the bandwagon. Im a little west. Im breaking down. Thats all i think about. What a bunch of. These people are looking for a free ride. They are using people that works those that do need help and basically jumping on the bandwagon trying to get a free ride, trying to get disability. I did like her comment with regards to classification of women because i had the exact same thing. When i was in the military it was the same thing. Either you are a or you are a. I really dont like that word either and i did mention that to her. I would take definite offense to that. Even though i am im happy, i used to be happy until i had to deal with quote the va. March 26, 2013, salt lake high school. The funny thing about it is everything is running in the basement. When i was escorted out by the va police up in salt lake they asked me, oh was there a wired Cellular Phone Company . Come on, obviously they do this on a regular basis. They are stealing our identity and selling it off. Canadians are polish or russia russians. The individual who wanted my identity was 5 feet 7 inches because that is where they change my medical records to be. I was 5 feet 9. 5 inches before treatment. After treatment i am now 5 feet 8. 5 and a half inches. When i was forced into an incident because it was no accident. It was an insurance scam. They do it on a regular basis. The department of corrections take their officers out. They end up in the hospital. They were on that bill up the ying yang. Its all a medical scam. Of blew the whistle, 380 some thousand dollars. Thats not a little ride in the park. And they are doing this on a regular basis. And as far as the judicial background, what they were doing at the department of corrections was falsifying records, Training Records for people applying for paea, the people i dealt with at salt lake also paea. Security along with fergie and. They worked for the va. They go from quote sitting at a desk at the va office and turn around and end up working in communications. Im tired of being messed with and now this stage my vascular system has shut down. My feet have abscesses to the bone. The strange thing about it, when i talk to a psychologist, they want to say youre. I say you know what would happen to the individual . She said who quote leave it with me comma. Thats right, university hospital. I went across the street. Check this out, 1900 some odd dollars to go a quarter of a mile across the street. Tell me she was scamming, who is scheming. The fact is i was paying 593 a month, regular insurance and get on get screwed by the va. You know i dealt with individuals that supposedly were doctors. I said i havent seen a doctor since ive been in this dump. How is that . I got a nurse practitioner, i got a pda. I said oh thats right, dermatologist. I finally get to see an actual doctor. When my feet were quote infected i could barely walk. I have abscesses on my feet down to the bone and thank you so very much. My partner of 30 years said dont come here. They will just throw you in the not word. I laughed and i said let them try. I said i have taken bigger boys on than what i have seen around here lately. That was the last little game that i dealt with up in salt lake, harrisville actually. I call it damage control. Initially i was brought in in a white sheet, pink sheet, suicidal. And the va would pay for it. I said but im not suicidal. I realize its all an insurance scam. While i was paying 593 per month through United Health care it wasnt going to United Health care. It was going to an individuals pockets and the va was supposed to be picking up the bill. I dont like that. I dont like how our judicial system is so corrupt. I dont care where you go. They are doing background checks. I go to the bank. Who does the background checks on those banks . They stole 56,000 out of my bank account, every penny that i had my 401 k . I had received. I put in 37,000 some odd cents, i got a receipt for 50,000. Basically the department of correction gave them a 50,000dollar ticket, you deal with this problem. You get rid of the problem. Im at a stage in my life that i dont give a rats hind end about what people think. I have always pronounced if i was from quote back east. Why is that, back east . They said because youre outspoken. I said well, if i were in utah you are correct that would be considered back east. I laughed but those women that they are key they keep them medicated. They wont speak out because they are afraid. The system is definitely broken. The va hospital, i asked for an out, outsourcing his first medical. I was laughed at so gently and told they dont treat hepatitis b. I said do you know what . Is considered chronic. I said you have given me such a megadose, my body is collapsing. Hepatitis c thanks so very much rate i said i dont appreciate it but i will deal with it. What they did and this is what i refer to as quote engineered, engineered. They do this on a regular basis up in utah. The first thing you feel is a pain in the knees and hips. Gee quiz, now who replaces those knees and hips . Thats right, doctors. Doctors on the scam. While i was dealing with being in the hospital and went from the hospital to a nursing home and this doctor goes to my house. As part of the game. There are a lot of quote investors. They hate certain groups and they use a lot of youngsters as well. They intimidate people to move out of their neighborhoods. They sell their house and theyre getting harassed. I was called in utah by my neighbors in the said oh do you have your camera on . I said nell. They broke into my house. So you dont know who you were living next door to. I dealt with one individual across the street. I guess his specialty is quote insurance as one would say. Va related. Yes, c. A. Related. The one that told me to go ahead because i was the in the navy and i was about to go ahead and applied. The corruption runs deep as one would say. I think the va hospital, when i came to the va hospital here wasnt so bad. I admit that although i know a scam because they said there was nothing wrong when i left. That long has collapsed back in 2011 when i was forced off the road. I have looked around. But i honestly say was i going to work . Bates told me in the hospital i was going to work. They said i never arrived on friday night. I did arrive on friday night. It was saturday morning and i was sent home an hour early. I shouldve been escorted home. But what i say was i going to work . I have no idea because i was basically comatose, induced for more than two and a half weeks while they my insurance dry. They rearranged my face and when i say rearranged, one doctor 48 screws and plates. Next time i get my medical record because they were stolen from my home was that by the va . Ivan nova was by the va or who. Records were stolen. Next time i had screws and only six plates. I can tell you this much, i dont have anything under my face, under my eyes. Totally numb. My nose, it certainly isnt my nose. It looks exactly like quote an individual that i dealt with was now a parole officer who is a thief. Her mother has my aunt sewing machine in her house. Is called steps by advancing. Thats how you advance. Thats the department of corrections. [applause] i was in the navy. I was a corpsman. I joined the military because im sorry. I joined the military because i wanted to serve this great country of ours and i would have died for my country. I just didnt think it would be one of the va said id have to do that. 18 months ago i was noticing some swelling in my feet. I called my primary care and i got his nurse. That was a time we could get the telephone. They kept telling me that doctor is not here in blah blah blah. They made me get a copy of my medical records and it said that doctor wanted me to come in on an emergency appointment. So they put a message back to the doctor that said patient trying to tell her to come in for an emergency appointment with the doctor. She refused and said she cant find childcare for poor children. And then he tried to back it up when i confronted him with it. He said you told me you couldnt find childcare for your four children so that shows you right there, dumber and oh my god. Finally after about nine months they finally the message was getting to my doctor, which i have the best primary care doctor. Oh yeah i went to john mccains office and that somehow opened up the doors. They did an mri and they found that i had a torn tendon which is an bigger toad that goes all the way up to your ankle and you have it on both sides. All that stuff we had to do in the military just took a toll. They set up for me to have surgery. I was so excited. January 8 i get a phonecall from the surgeon. Hes wanting to know couldve rescheduled because he had to go to the airport to pick up his family members. I never heard that doctor calling and asking Something Like that. I said i really dont want to do that so he said, it was the 15th. In the meantime i had a heart attack and what was really funny, i had gotten out of the hospital already and when he came called back to reschedule it again. I go, did you know we have i had a heart attack clinics we cant do it at all. I had five cancellations to when i was ready to have it done in the third one, the fifth one was two and a half or three weeks ago. I was on the table ready to go and they stop the surgery because my blood sugar, which i did the preop on the 18th predispose the 29th and i did the preop on may 18. They knew all my blood work. Nobody called me and that blood work would not come up. I dont know if it was because of the preop but i never got it. Of course you cant call these clinics. If you talk to someone who speaks some other language that you dont understand. They didnt call me so everything must be okay. My blood sugar was high than a nobody called me to let me know. There was enough time to do th that. So they stopped the surgery. For the preop i had gone in and i dont understand this, how these Nurse Practitioners are these rns. It wasnt actually a nurse practitioner, it was an r. N. He was saying i want you off if your plavix and i want you off of this, this than this. I said is that doctor know about this . Im not done anything to sustain me. I cant take aspirin. Oh no this is regular protocol. You dont need to talk to the doctor. They took me off of plavix and i was supposed to have surgery the 29th. I ended up at chandler regional with a heart attack again because when they took the plavix away for five days for a blood clot one of the stands that i had gotten in january, basically i was 100 occluded. I would have died in my sleep that night if i would have gotten a severe pain that i had. They did another stand and i tried to call clinic and they didnt want anything to do with me. You call less than a year and we will talk to you. I didnt join the military because i knew that 20 years later i would need to have medical care. I joined the military because i felt proud of this country. I wanted to be part of this country. [applause] no matter what you sign the check all the way up to including your death. But we are not getting that back. We are getting people that are giving us a bunch of baloney. Talking out of both sides of their mouth and i get that every time. Im in your quite a bit, at least three times a month. Im just getting sick and tired of it. Im sick and tired of seeing these little nonveteran kids talking to these older veterans like they are dogs. Believe me if i am here and i hear it i stand up and let me tell you they dont get away with it, not on my time. [applause] these people that are up on the front lines when they check u. N. And all of that. I went to nursing school, paramedic school. I have done all these things. These people have no medical training at all. They stand up and tell you go home and we will call you. Thats not the way it works. If you were in a civilian hospital or her regular Doctors Office and the patient came in and said im having chest pain and theyd say go home will call you, thats termination right there. These people are allowed to turn people away. I was a 17 or 1818yearold had just gotten out and shes timid and she comes up and she goes im really having a bad time. I feel like im going to hurt myself. Im like oh my god. The girl said we dont have any pure paperwork so you need to go home and we will call you. This poor child walking out of there. Trying to tell her about the opal clinic. People in primary care didnt even know where it was. Where is that . Its right around the corner. If you get up off your and go around. I dont get it. Turn this little girl away. The whole night thats all i worried about was this poor girl who had gone out, death by death by whatever all because you dont have the time to take the time. Thats not right. If it werent for the veterans before, after and now there wouldnt be a job for these civilians to have two treat people that way. They need to understand that. [applause] we are not here for them. They are here for us and we are going to do it. If i have my way about it and dont ever say anything bad to a veteran because i will clock you can take your name and number. I have someone else with me that will do the same thing only she hits harder. Patient advocate, thats an oxymoron. How can you have somebody help somebody who works for the va . They are complaining about the va and they are helping them for the va. I had a bad experience with them. I heard. Into the room and tell the doctor what you want us to do and that made me mad and i let her know about it. That is not right. Thats all ive got to say. [applause] all right, thank you. Hello. I am dave. A bit overwhelmed, kind of tir tired. More importantly, besides the session which i might have a couple about, we need the va staff to be at these meetings instead of collecting their easy money and things go in one ear and out the other. More importantly with all the money they are putting into the va and stuff this is phoenix. We are a huge city. Veterans made arizona what it is and at this time there is no doubt in my military mind that there should be two shifts. Instead of everyone living in luxury as life and going home at 4 00. Secondly, patient advocate that we have discussed a few times should have a patient advocate that can keep you can communicate with as they team player that we were taught so much when we were in the military, someone again that can help you with your treatment plan. Im trying to keep it as short as i can. I have got third stage lung disease, yada, yada, yada. What is happening to happening to all these people . Sheron helmand, she still collecting money . Dr. Bloom was my pulmonologist and just like the rest of the va, retired. They conveniently do this and that. Im a licensed aircraft mechan mechanic, a light licensed electrician mechanic, United Airlines since 1990. Been seeing these pieces of ship for two and a half years. I was finally terminated with United Airlines may 31 of this year and im blackballed. Again, Police Officers not the last four times with previous to that have always again, messed with me. The whole thing is a big joke. Its a big joke. Its basically, its like a walnut shell game were hot potato. There are so many people here that no one is accountable. They just pass the buck to another person. If we are going to keep having these town meetings, we need the va staff in here. We can complain all we want, whatever. [applause] i dont know if anybody knows that its International Day today. How perfect. How perfect. Im honored as the mother of a veteran who served in desert storm to speak to all of you. What he would say, he died last october, what he would say to me through the eight years that he was on the waiting list and died in october 25th. I was with a personal advocate here at the hospital when he died. A the phonecall came. He would save mom, dont do it for me. Do it for the other veterans and thats why im here. Im appalled to hear all whats going on here. I want to tell you my medical experience. 10 years old i was changing diapers of a baby that was born with his bladder out into his on the side. At 16 i was my mothers and my fathers nurse because my mother would not assist him. So i changed his trach, i cleaned it, i showed in the mirror after he had four places in his jaw broken. Two broken ribs and a broken l leg. Hes an irishman from illinois and im proud to say im a farmers daughter and i want you all to know the crisis in medical care that we are in. I visited five or six people and hospice who died. So we are all here for temporary reasons. What we do with that short span of time that we are here, a assist everybody. Be an advocate for civil rights. Learn the gettysburg address. Get out there in your community and establish help. Go get a degree in the medical profession. You know we are overloaded. Everybody knows we are overloaded. The va knows we are. We are all overloaded. Everybody is overworked. Do you get it . Do you get it . Everybody should get it. Do your part. Do your part to assist. I know, i understand, i know there are mistakes and i know there are people that didnt hear my son when he had a tumor in his face and he had to get on the waiting list. So he proceeded to go to the State Hospital and say im nuts, i know i am, help me three times at the State Hospital. No help, nothing. Value options. Go to value options. They will give you a good drug. Oh no they went out of business. They had to change the name to magellan. My father worked at the State Hospital. I spent six years visiting my son and i got to watch him die. I got to watch the doctors over drugged him and give him Bladder Cancer and when i requested the records i was told that i had to pay 50 cents a page. Can you imagine, six years of medical records from a State Hospital . I requested from the governor, from the department of health, from the State Hospital, from the va. Everybody that i could could come and can we please have his records . The birth records are supposed to be free from the va but guess what he knew there was no assistance at that time. He entered at peacetime as a mine man. Does anybody know what a mine man is . Who knows what a mine man is . Nobody. They dont tell you what a mine man is. A mine man hauls explosives and bombs. He delivers bombs. It was peacetime. I married his chicago cubs father because president kennedy said he got married he didnt have to go to war. Where are we now . Thank you. [applause] my name is Staff Sergeant richard harris, retired, 23 years Army National guard, army reserve afghanistan 2002, iraq 06 and 07. I stand here pretty ablebodied. Im 40 disabled. Ive got all of my lambs thankfully. I just want to say i filed my claims after i retired because theres a stigma. They dont want any broken soldiers. I was a midlevel nco. I had soldiers reporting to me and i was counseling them and encouraging and mentoring. Still in the reserves after afghanistan and iraq for another two years before he retired after 23 years. Going through the pt test in everything and you go in the locker room afterwards and people are cleaning up. It looks like the pharmaceutical convention because you have half the unit on psychotropics trying to deal with the stress. I was a triathlete. Now i get winded after 45 minutes of my workout. I used to be able to work out eight hours a day and longer, okay . I was just solid. Now my wife complains that im fatigued all the time. I do want to complain. I want to solve the problem. I havent been to the va except for today because i registered with the gulf war registry. Something i wasnt told about in 2010 when i first filed my claims, i filed mine claims. Two were approved, two were denied, five were forgotten, okay . I overcame another four of those and two were declined or natural peptic means out of my own pocket. Thank god i am employed and thank god i do have insurance outside of the va. I even changed my whole career to go into psychology and everything to help vets to deal with this stuff. Im working on applying for my masters. I helps volunteer for encouraging fats and Different Things like that. I want to say your system is broke. If i can help i will. If theres anybody who needs somebody to talk to, some other medical advice i have saved myself from surgeries through natural peptic means and i have overcome a few things. Its funny the two things or one of the things that was approved with ibs. Its kind of fitting because the army and the va has been a pain in the after . Thats about it. I do like this. You are asking for some suggestions whats going good and whats going bad. I will say kind of real quick that gulf war registry, its a study. Its not necessarily their to help with your claims although it will help the longterm. I think its kind of misguided. If you do your research, less Chemical Exposure in afghanistan before. I know if i read my history right there russians when they left Bagram Airfield they sprayed commercial pesticides killing tens of thousands of people. Ive seen the graveyards. I was there early. They were kicking around in this dust that was a foot thick, breathing it. That was one of my first concerns when i left. Eyes have suffered from Different Things ever sense. Im here to help with that stu study. I have volunteered for a lot of Different Things that the whole system is broke. Thanks. [applause] hi. Im an army veteran. I had a whole bunch of things that i wanted to go over but it seems like everybody has hired a hit on everything. A couple of things that i really wanted to touch on. Those papers you were passing out having people fill those o out. They have had these suggestion boxes all over the va that people never did anything with. As a matter fact some of them are still up. Whos going to be following up on these . As we go through them i have to figure out a way to communicate with all of you because i dont really have an easier way of doing it. With my employees i will email them this actual cards and we provide updates on whats happening with the various suggestions. Im going to try to figure what to do that may be at a subsequent meeting, and maybe be able to tie in some things from tonight trying to fi fix it and moving forward with new comments from folks. Another question i have is why isnt somebody taking minutes on whats going on here . We have got lots of staff. Is this going to be are we going to be able to have access to at . Look at my director over there. Think theres a request from cspan and cspan is recording it and i dont know what they are going to safor but they asked if they could come and record it. Cspan is going to show this and you can watch it on tv. Okay. Now as far as my health goes i have been coming here since 19 1974. I would have to say on a scale of one to 10 its always been a seven or an eight. My Biggest Issue is with some of these employees. An example of that is something that happened to me just wednesday. I was called. I had an appointment for thursday you know before you go for an operation, whats it called . A preop appointment for thursday. They called me tuesday night and asked me if they could change it to wednesday or friday. I said i have an appointment wednesday at 10 30. She said we need you in here early so i said okay what early . She said 8 30 or earlier. She said if you come in earlier we will get to you so you dont miss her 10 30 appointment. This was my First Experience with these people. I also have my hands operated on. I am lefthanded. I leave my house at 6 30 from mesa and i get here about 7 30 and by 7 40 i was signed in. I asked the person, there were only two people behind the counter helping me and another person sitting in the waiting room. The person says i will see that she gets it right away. I sit down, it is a clock no action, 8 30 still no action, a 45 00 or 8 50 i hear a lady calling my name from behind the counter. She said what are you doing here . I didnt know you were here. I walked up to her and this guy that i signed in with was there and she standing behind him. I looked at him a little funny. She said something to me and i said you guys are going to have to feed me after this. By that i meant getting a meal ticket. Im also diabetic. And bipolar. Anyway this guy gives me a funny look. This lady is talking. I cant give you a meal ticket. We dont do that anymore. Shes trying to hand me this paper. You have to go down the hall. I took the paper and i handed it back to her and i walked out. Calling my name and saying you are not going to be operated on. Im thinking to myself im going to let these people operate on me and they cant even get me and they are right . I was a little afraid. I started leaving and i thought you know im going to find out who this person was and who that person was before i walk out of here. So i walked back upstairs. I go to the counter and asked this guy for my sign in sheet. What time did i sign in . He started getting smart with me. Talking about him being an exrentacop. I dont know what he was trying to do, intimidate me, i dont know. I said can i speak to your supervisor . What do you want me to do, give you a copy or get my supervisor . Im thinking cant you do both . What do you want first . This is for real happening. Im not kidding, this happened. I said youre right there at the computer, give me the copy. Meanwhile this guy comes up to me and he says whats the problem here . I think to myself who are you now . He says im the supervisor. I didnt say that, i thought if i didnt say it. He said on the supervisor. How do i know you are the supervisor . Because im telling you on the supervisor. I said okay get me your supervisor. I dont like the way this is going. He said i will handle this right now. He calls the police. Wait a minute, and i said youre calling the police . He said yeah. I said you know what, screw it. I dont need this. I started to walk away and obvious sign of a if there were three cops were running up the steps. Tonight im sitting down in the lobby and one of these Police Officers walks by me, looks me dead in the eyes. Excuse me i dont mean to be swearing but he looks me dead in the eyes and doesnt say a word. He walks back to the Police Station and he comes back with two other Police Officers. I had two witnesses sitting there with me at the clinic. He gets sneaky and comes up to me and says we have to talk to you. I said whats up . Youre going to come with us. I said what the . This was tonight. Had in i was afraid to go up there. I am serious. So i said to myself you go in there in a wheelchair they will wheel you around. Of i have the disability which is a Mental Health disorder. What if somebody comes and asks you to lock them up there and be that escort . I will respect the person that is with me so they told me it was the employee think so they could baguette the files. That should be change. I will tell you quickly i have of friend of mine that was with me 20 years ago her name was michelle and she was killed one month ago by a Police Officer who does not know how to take a fucking out of her hand. The same thing could happen here. It could happen. Think you for listening. [applause] my phone is going off by started off tonight i had to come back after hearing everybody. My family has been a family of analyst for many years some of that has rubbed off on me although it never get paid for it. What were talking about there is gross incompetence gross incompetence the doctor always asks these questions are you suicidal do you have any weapons . What kind would you like it . So i told my doctor i am getting that way. Can we save up an appointment for Psychiatric Care . I said lets go do that so the day came i got down to the clinic and a woman came in to say a year for medication . I said william. Is the. Why are you here . I am looking for in site how to deal with the v. A. Hospital now this brings me to another thing i have to direct that to you. In to those and have decent jobs you know, what i about to say is true or called me a liar. I had a friend he was a volunteer here this hospital for many years and helped a lot of people get to where they needed to go not just clinically but see this person they can help you do this. I had another friend rick who retired recently he would tell the can you put that it different way . So that is not confrontational . He taught me a lot but that point is the v. A. If you are employed you have to go to their class is. Thats true. [inaudible] [inaudible] more than that but in opening came open for my friend bob and people said put him through this job it is the nice paying job. You work there as a volunteer. They turned him down because they told him you know, too much the way we teach people how to turn everybody down. Because this paper was not filled out exactly right or something was omitted for any reason whatsoever. Mia case so far . That sounds like the benefit side i have no control. No, no, no. In order to work here they would not hire bob because he helped to many people have taken the gold they tried to work for whether a doctor or recently they did a lung biopsy on me and that was a nightmare. But guess what they ruptured a blood vessel i started to fill with blood. It scared me and the doctor. So after many hours they sent me home and said if you have trouble breathing or chest pains were bleeding come back. The next day i started to have all kinds of trouble. I was coughing up blood clots i told my wife take me to the hospital i am getting bad. The emergency room somebody said it was a joke. Totally incompetent i sat there seven hours could not breathe with chest pains excuse was he says i am sorry but i dont know what to do for you. I have to pass you to the Pulmonary Department it is fouroclock give the warning. A nurse comes and says i have to ask questions but they give me a shot at several. Thank god. After seven hours in the lobby. Then they give me a sears store room and said i have to ask you questions. Do you have any weapons . Yap. Right now live with like to have borne. Comeback noon tomorrow. At 4 00 in the morning and i am sedated. I do have good news in a minute. If you dont care it is totally absent in this hospital and one who cares enough about that if you do get one theyre only here until they get a good job they dont want to pay anybody. So to make this so bad recently i had to go to i want to take care of business after the biopsy. But i got there i had to be admitted to the v. A. Hospital for five days. Guess what . V. A. Is have been here compared to des moines, iowa. I had a liquid diet. The fifth day they let me eat. At the end of the fifth day the woman says the want to do a report to question you about how good your food was. Are you kidding me . How can you mess up a Grilled Cheese sandwich . It tastes like it went through 55 years. Five fires. Bu the tomato soup tastes like somebody did not take out the dishrag. So there are some good things here. But it is certainly not the doctors. Thank you. [applause]. We will do to more then wrap it up. What happened to me happened to other people. And then i bring her to the emergency. With an open sore down to the bone. Then we go back. And then they put her in a bet. Then we were kind the escorted out. End coming here on a saturday. With a bad prostate problem. And then told me to come back monday. When i got back monday they said you have to make an appointment to wait one month. N but then i looked upm but then i went out. A whit to the hospital. But here at the v. A. Instead of service they have the Police Escort you about. In if you dont agree with them. If you get on your knees the first thing they do is say they will send you down to call the police. That is what happened to me here. But my case has been on appeal. Nobody tells me nothing about it and i have the paper. If they could do anything for me. And all of these cases. Thank you. Think you for your patience. And. [inaudible] from Arizona State University Post graduation. Clemenceau a disabled vet. I have seen a lot of changes. But it is a large portion of what goes on here. I have been patient for a long time. Z9 over there is the only guy that this year with a smile. The other officer in plane stalls close have skills on their face. But then i had my own encounters with the v. A. Police. I of them thrown against the wall and questionedy with the overwhelming presence. They all hang around that a cup chopped cop shop. Why do we have to have town meetings like this . Why not patient representatives . But i am disabled totally and permanently. But to have a desk in the front lobby. For what they paid. But there was a guy who needed help the first with just paints. But it is not equipped to handle. You walked into see folks in the emergency room. But the use level one or level two. They go to st. Joes or to county. Because they dont have the medical training i have worked of backoffice i have had their own problems