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Posts Tagged ‘VA medical facility’
Monday, August 23rd, 2010
On the morning of August 30, 2005, Richard Kellar believed he was in the best hands as he went to the Denver Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital for a triple-bypass surgery. Kellar came out of surgery, however, with a surgical clamp about the size of a large paper clip left behind his heart. Chief. U.S. District Judge Wiley Y. Daniel is overseeing the federal trial now underway.
Kellar was offered a $100,000 settlement before trial even started. He rejected it, however, because he didn’t feel it was enough money to compensate him given both his medical and financial issues and is now seeking $15 million.
According to Kellar’s testimony, the surgeons knew the surgical clamp was missing at the end of the surgery but failed to notify him it could have been left inside his chest.
The clamp was eventually discovered during an MRI at Sky Ridge Medical Center in 2006. Kellar was told to return to the Denver VA Hospital where he underwent a fluoroscopy to inspect his chest. Examining doctors told Kellar the surgery required to remove the clamp was too risky but it should cause no harm as it was embedded in the muscle. This didn’t ring true as Kellar was experiencing various physical problems he blames on the presence of the clamp:
- Shooting pains in his head and neck; and
- Numbness in his hands.
U.S. Attorneys questioned whether these ailments existed prior to the clamp being left in his chest. This is only one of the issues the Judge must decide and the trial is expected to conclude soon.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Denver VA Hospital, medical malpractice lawsuit, Richard Kellar, VA healthcare, VA lawsuit, VA medical facility, VA surgical error
Posted in VA News | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
A leaked Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) internal department memo outlines how the VA delays and even denies medical care to sick veterans and then covers its tracks with fraudulent paperwork. The VA Inspector General, among others, have made this charge against the VA since the first soldiers began their return from Operation Enduring Freedom.
The memo was written by William Schoenhard, the Deputy Undersecretary for Health Operations and Management. Schoenhard learned of these unacceptable practices and dubbed them “gaming strategies.” Essentially the VA is giving patients less access to medical treatment in order to better their scores on various evaluative measures.
The memo identified 24 actions the VA was using but cautions there are most likely more. Schoenhard refers to the VA using the fine-print to cancel patients’ appointments as sinister. This happens when a patient arrives on time for his appointment and is told his appointment was canceled. The patient is referred to the fine print on the bottom of his form stating patients not arriving 10-15 minutes early risk cancellation.
VA employees also “game the system” by entering patients’ return visit dates months past the doctor specified date. Another “game” is marking patients’ initial treatment requests on paper as opposed to the computer system. Employees then call the patients months or a year later making that date their first request date. Federal law requires the VA see the patients within 30 days. Along the same lines, multiple patients are booked at the same time slot. Either the patients wait for hours or leave without service.
There is no doubt the VA is overwhelmed by the amount of veterans needing help. These practices, however, are despicable.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Department of Veterans Affairs, VA health care, VA medical facility, VA patient services
Posted in General, VA News | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
The Richmond Fisher House is located at the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center and is only one of many homes around the country for the families of veterans requiring significant or long-term medical care. The Fisher House Foundation was developed to aid those family members of veterans receiving medical health care by offering on-site living accommodations in as close to possible home away from home conditions.
Some of the families stay in the Fisher homes for long periods of time, so the accommodations have to be comfortable. The Richmond Fisher House is one of the largest such homes and contains:
- Over 16,000 square feet of living space;
- 21 Bedrooms;
- A dining room;
- A living room;
- A family room; and
- A communal kitchen.
Fisher House plays a vital role in helping families support those veterans undergoing treatment. Many families do not have the funds to pay for extended hotel stays. Fisher House serves more than just a financial role; they bring families together that eventually develop support systems for each other.
Fisher house provides more than just a place to stay, it attempts to provide a home away from home. Supporting family members undergoing medical therapy takes a toll on everyone involved. Staying at Fisher House gives people all the comforts they have at home at no cost:
- Washers and dryers;
- Personal bathrooms;
- Libraries of books and DVDs;
- Linens; and
- Play areas for children including an outdoor playground.
Sitting in a hospital all day can be stressful on both adults and children. Without these amenities, their stays would be much more stressful. There is no way to measure how critical the role Fisher House plays in family members staying in support of their veteran.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Disabled Veterans, families of veterans, Fisher House, VA healthcare, VA medical facility
Posted in General, Veterans' Dependents, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Thursday, April 8th, 2010
The Waco, Texas Veterans Affairs Medical Center is about to begin renovations to their Blind Rehabilitation Center (BRC). Once construction is complete, the Blind Rehabilitation Center will house 20 beds for blind veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) allocated $49 million to the Waco VA campus and this $9.8 million renovation of the BRC is only one improvement planned for the Waco campus.
The BRC program is designed to aid blind veterans in helping themselves so they develop their own independence; it is 1 out of only 10 facilities in the entire United States. The BRC program caters to both blind and visually-impaired veterans. Additionally, the program serves active duty personnel stationed all over the South-Central U.S.
The veterans participating in the BRC program are trained in how to use specific equipment so as to thrive in day-to-day activities. The training can run the gamut from being trained in how to use a long cane to common activities like making their beds.
The renovations to the center are preemptive. Given the amount of injured veterans returning form the two current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the number of veterans requiring the services of the BRC is going to climb dramatically. The thought process, then, is to be ready for the surge as opposed to having to handle the surge at the same time as attempting to perform renovations.
The completion date for all the renovations has not been set; it is expected to be concluded by 2012. VA clinics that focus on one specific type of injury are able to give much more personalized instruction. For those veterans blinded in defense of our country, the more money given to these centers the better.
Tags: Blind veterans, Disabled Veterans, VA medical facility, Veterans Health Care, Veterans' Resources
Posted in Disabled Veterans, VA News | No Comments »
Friday, February 5th, 2010
The Tomah, WI VA medical center has just received a grant which they will use to utilize TeleMove technology. The technology is part of a VA attempt to make getting health care easier for veterans living in rural areas.
Patients at smaller clinics will have the ability to videolink with physicians at larger VA medical centers. The physician will be able to perform stethoscope and EKG readings and most importantly, it allows veterans to receive services without having to travel. Based on the performance at other VA facilities, it is expected approximately 300 veterans will benefit from the TeleMove technology.
The technology itself is simple and anyone can use it. It is a video link between the base unit and the remote unit. The patient can see the physician on the screen as well as themselves. The same is true for the physician. It is a completely interactive technology. What a person would normally say to their physician, they can say to the screen.
The application works in a group situation as well. The TeleMove unit can accommodate up to six people with the group leader at a remote location. Using the technology will not be mandatory. The key in using the TeleMove system is establishing and maintaining a connection between the veteran and their physician. If the veteran chooses to see their physician in person, that is always an option as well.
Learn more about technology helping rural veterans.
If you are a veteran who has been denied disability compensation by the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. We can appeal your rating decision and fight for your rights. You are entitled to certain programs and benefits based upon your VA rating decision so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: TeleMove, VA medical center, VA medical facility, veteran medical care
Posted in General | No Comments »
Friday, January 29th, 2010
The St. Louis VA health care organization (VAMC) is one of the busiest in the country and they had a problem: how to smoothly control patient flow on a budget while preparing for an increasing amount of patients. Troop surges in Afghanistan and returning veterans are constantly adding to the current veteran population so the VAMC had to be prepared.
The St. Louis VAMC solved their problem by using their new Versus Technology’s Real-time Location System (RTLS), which is currently being used in hundreds of other health care facilities. The St. Louis VAMC is using this technology in their outpatient eye clinic and their operating room in an effort to improve:
- Safety;
- Efficiency;
- Patient flow;
- Room status;
- Patient interaction;
- Prevent roadblocks; and
- Volume management.
Upon entering the St. Louis VAMC, patients are given a Versus badge linked to the RTLS. The badge will allow the clinic staff to:
- Locate the patient;
- Monitor the patient’s wait time; and
- Monitor the length of the patient’s procedures.
The clinic staff also wears the badges and this allows their interaction time with the patients to be monitored and, conversely, how long each patient is alone. At the end of a patient’s visit, the system produces a report detailing every stage of a patient’s visit.
Read more about patient control automation in the St. Louis VMAC.
If you need assistance with your veterans disability claim, contact the veterans disability rights law firm of LaVan & Neidenberg. Veterans disability rights lawyers can help you win your claim against the VA!
Tags: real time location system, St. Louis VAMC, VA healthcare, VA medical facility
Posted in Disabled Veterans | No Comments »
Monday, January 18th, 2010
The Philadelphia VA Medical Center recently admitted to significant problems with its prostrate cancer treatment program. The cancer treatment errors have negatively impacted the health and safety of numerous injured, ill and disabled veterans.
Specifically, the Philadelphia VA facility violated federal radiation rules that are dictated by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. These medical mistakes put sick veterans at risk for additional health problems, including rectum pain and the return of some cancers.
A VA review found that the Philadelphia VA Medical Center routinely gave prostrate cancer patients the incorrect does of radiation. The VA investigation revealed:
- 97 out of 114 cancer patients were given the wrong radiation doses
- These mistakes occurred over the course of six years
- The violations stemmed from incorrect dosing in the VA prostrate brachytherapy program
- Doctors and radiation experts routinely made mistakes that endangered patients’ lives and health
The mistakes at the cancer treatment program at the Philadelphia VA clinic typically resulted in radioactive “seeds” – a form of cancer treatment – being implanted in the wrong part of the body. Some patients experienced cancer recurrences and others suffered radiation injuries.
These types of medical errors at VA medical centers represent a significant concern for ill or disabled veterans who already struggle with a variety of medical and financial challenges.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation by the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. We can appeal your rating decision and fight for your rights. You are entitled to certain programs and benefits based upon your VA rating decision so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: VA medical facility
Posted in Disabled Veterans | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009
The VA Office of the Inspector General released a report earlier this week regarding its inspection of a VA medical facility in Marion, Illinois.
The inspection, conducted in August, comes after the VA implemented a moratorium on surgeries at the VA hospital after nine deaths during a six month time frame were linked to substandard care. Since that time, an additional 10 patients were identified by the VAOIG as receiving questionable care and dying.
Problems at the Marion VA identified in Monday’s VAOIG report include:
- Lack of infection control
- Poor tracking and investigation of deaths
- Insufficient monitoring of privileges for physicians
The facility is part of a VA district in Southern Illinois, Southern Indiana and Western Kentucky that serves approximately 127,000 veterans.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida disability lawyers, LaVan & Neidenberg, represent over 5000 disability claimants. Our disability attorneys have experience with cross examining agency-appointed medical and vocational experts and take time when speaking with you about your disability claim. Call us today at 1-888-234-5758 for a FREE legal consultation. There is NO OBLIGATION to hire our firm and there are NO FEES unless one of our trained disability lawyers wins your case.
Tags: LaVan & Neidenberg, Marion Illinois, VA, VA medical facility, VAOIG
Posted in General | No Comments »
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