{"id":444,"date":"2015-12-01T23:25:53","date_gmt":"2015-12-01T23:25:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/riley-topping.com\/?p=444"},"modified":"2015-12-02T19:42:57","modified_gmt":"2015-12-02T19:42:57","slug":"the-problems-with-the-tomah-vamc-100-day-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/riley-topping.com\/index.php\/2015\/12\/01\/the-problems-with-the-tomah-vamc-100-day-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"The Problems with the Tomah VAMC 100-Day Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"roryDSC_7310b-Edit\"<\/a><\/p>\n

By Rory E. Riley<\/p>\n

The recent problems at the Tomah VA medical center have been well-documented, from the over-prescription of opiates to its patients<\/a>, the struggle in how Senator Tammy Baldwin\u2019s office handled information<\/a>, to a human game of \u201chungry hungry hippos\u201d instead of caring for veterans on Halloween<\/a>. \u00a0\u00a0So, the VA\u2019s release of the \u201cTomah VAMC 100-Day Plan<\/a>\u201d seems like it would be a step in the right direction in addressing these serious problems, right?<\/p>\n

However, because as the Arizona Republic recently noted, \u201cVA is a two-letter synonym for insanity<\/a>,\u201d this plan will not solve the issues at the troubled medical center. \u00a0Here is why:<\/p>\n

First, the plan consists of only four pages of four highlighted titles and several bullet points as a description of implementation for each one (Open Access to care, Improve Employee Engagement, Restoring Trust, and High Performing Network & Best Practices). \u00a0Although VA has used all the right buzzwords in issuing this document, the lack of substance is troubling to the say the least. \u00a0It would seem that problems of this magnitude — which resulted in the death of veterans in the care of that facility — would warrant much more detail and attention than merely four pages that lack complete sentences. \u00a0By contrast, the VA OIG report<\/a> that confirmed the unexpected death of a veteran during the course of mental health treatment at the facility warranted a full 28 pages of single-spaced information, including a summary of the issue, scope and methodology used in the investigation, results, and recommendations for improvement. \u00a0Even VA\u2019s official response to the OIG report’s recommendations are more in-depth than the information contained in the 100-Day Plan.<\/p>\n

\"\"

The Tomah VA Medical Center<\/p><\/div>\n

Second, passing off power point presentations as a \u201cplan\u201d is not a new tactic from the VA. \u00a0Despite the recent rhetoric given to accountability and restoring the public trust, VA does not seem to have progressed much from three years ago when, in a heated exchange<\/a> with then-Ranking Member Bob Filner of the House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee, the Veterans Benefits Administration purported to have a \u201cTransformation Plan,\u201d which, in reality was just an 11-page power point presentation. \u00a0Despite promising to produce the plan at the June 19, 2012, hearing<\/a>, VA failed to produce a substantive document<\/a> until seven months later, in January 25, 2013. \u00a0Further, even when the VBA\u2019s strategic plan was produced in January 2013, many questions still lingered as to the viability of its implementation – suspicions that ultimately proved correct when VA failed to meet its 2015 deadline<\/a> for eliminating the claims backlog.<\/p>\n

Finally, prior to the issuance of the 100-Day Plan, the Tomah VA issued a \u201c30-Day Plan<\/a>,\u201d which was largely unsuccessful. \u00a0The 100-Day Plan is not all that different from the 30-Day Plan and, as noted by Benjamin Krause of DisabledVeterans.org<\/a>, \u201cthe press corps largely gobbled it [the 100-Day Plan] up without discussing the contents of the plan or why the previous plan was insufficient to improve.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0This is the essential issue with VA accountability, not just at Tomah, but nationwide. \u00a0While there have been many calls for \u201caccountability,\u201d there have been far fewer substantive proposals and suggestions as to how such accountability can be achieved within such a burgeoning bureaucracy that has gotten away with ignoring its critics for decades. \u00a0Of course, the fact that the public and the media are paying more attention and are rightfully outraged at VA\u2019s organizational behavior is, like the 100-Day Plan, a step in the right direction. \u00a0But, more needs to be done.<\/p>\n

In essence, the Tomah VAMC 100-Day Plan is like a microcosm for the VA\u2019s issues at-large – a problem is identified, the public is outraged, and VA pays lip-service to the problem by issuing a document with a few key buzzwords as they wait for the public to turn its attention elsewhere. \u00a0Let\u2019s be sure to keep the pressure on not just the staff of the Tomah VAMC, but the VA in general in pushing for true improvements in veterans care (for example, by working collaboratively with those both inside and outside the Department), and restoring the public\u2019s trust by demonstrating actions with integrity, not just listing them on a powerpoint.<\/p>\n

 
\nRory E. Riley is the is the principle of Riley-Topping consulting, a consultancy that specializes in issues pertaining to veterans law and policy. \u00a0She can be reached on Twitter @RileyTopping or via email at rory@riley-topping.com.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Rory E. Riley The recent problems at the Tomah VA medical center have been well-documented, from the over-prescription of opiates to its patients, the struggle in how Senator Tammy Baldwin\u2019s office handled information, to a human game of \u201chungry hungry hippos\u201d instead of caring for veterans on Halloween. \u00a0\u00a0So, the VA\u2019s release of the \u201cTomah VAMC 100-Day Plan\u201d seems … <\/p>\n

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