[Vision2020] USA Today: Military health care woes extend beyond moldy rooms

Art Deco deco at moscow.com
Tue Mar 20 15:07:38 PDT 2007


Wonderful!  After asking our armed forces members to sacrafice their life and limbs in a war we were lied to in entering, we cannot even take adequate care of our wopuded and their families.  What a horrible tragedy and disgrace.

W.

 

 

Our view on treating the wounded: Iraq casualties overwhelm system; more money, less red tape needed.
Last month's initial reports about care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for troops wounded in Iraq focused on mold and vermin in an outpatient facility.

Totally unacceptable, of course, but easily fixed.

The bigger, more intractable problems with military health care involve red tape and stifling bureaucracy. Those problems aren't limited to Walter Reed but are widespread throughout the system. They have caused pain, desperation and financial hardship for thousands of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, as well as their families.

Perhaps the most distressing truth is this is another outrage that could have been avoided with more planning and less denial. The Pentagon did not expect the Iraq war to go on so long - four years as of today. The flood of casualties from both Iraq and Afghanistan has overwhelmed the medical facilities and magnified the problems. 

Thanks to medical advances, about 90% of troops wounded in Iraq survive, compared with 75% in Vietnam. The initial treatment they receive at Walter Reed and other facilities can equal the best in the world. It's afterward that the system breaks down. Reports by internal watchdogs, congressional investigators and various news media paint a shocking picture:

*In the past two years, the Army failed to meet deadlines for granting medical retirements in 94% of cases. Three-fifths of Army hospitals didn't meet Pentagon standards in their processing, and 44% have inaccurate record keeping. According to a report from the Army inspector general, the fault lies partly with a shortage of physicians at three-quarters of the medical facilities.

*At the Department of Veterans Affairs, where troops receive care after they leave active duty, there was a 127-day average wait for compensation claims (16 days more than in 2003), according to the Government Accountability Office. It takes an average of almost two years to process an appeal. Records frequently get lost or fail to get passed on because the military and veterans' systems don't even have compatible computer systems.

Those statistics, of course, don't tell of the human heartbreak. Hearings in Congress have showcased men such as Staff Sgt. John Daniel Shannon, who lost an eye and suffered brain injuries in Iraq in 2004 but was left for two weeks in a room without being contacted about follow-up treatment. 

Can any good come out of this? Perhaps.

New Defense Secretary Robert Gates has made a start. To establish an atmosphere of accountability, he has ousted the secretary of the Army and the head of Walter Reed. He has forced the Army's surgeon general into retirement. The shoddy living conditions at the offending outpatient facility have been attended to.

Addressing the deeper, systemic failures will take sustained attention and funding. At the very least, it requires adding staff, adjusting attitudes, computerizing records and streamlining procedures. Some lawmakers are preparing legislation to include such measures. The various review panels studying the situation will no doubt recommend other ways to repair military health care. 

U.S. troops who have suffered injuries in the service of their country deserve no less. On that, at least, supporters and opponents of the war in Iraq can agree.



Opposing view: We're rebuilding trust
Care for wounded has fallen short, but problems are being addressed.
By David S.C. Chu

The Department of Defense cares deeply about the well-being of its people. It shows in the quality of medical care provided to those deployed, which has been widely celebrated. The result is the highest survival rate for the wounded in the history of American military operations, and the lowest rate of disease and non-battle injuries. 

Commitment to our people shows in actions of recent years to replace substandard housing, expand the network of family support, and partner with the states to ensure military families are not disadvantaged by the demands of military service. Our Tricare health plan is highly rated by independent surveys, and our child care services were recently judged as tops in the nation. 

But in several areas relating to servicemembers recuperating from injury, or seeking to move forward with their lives, we have fallen short. To those adversely affected, and to the American public, I apologize. We are identifying and correcting the shortcomings.

Each military service already has a program to track and support its wounded, and the department has a Military Severely Injured Center where military families may call, and through which we coordinate our efforts with other agencies. These programs will be strengthened. 

We are likewise working with the Department of Veterans Affairs to make improvements toward the seamless transition to which everyone aspires.

Those injured who leave service and seek assistance from federal agencies often are frustrated. Not surprising - disability payments, for example, are provided through three different programs, driven by different statutory frameworks. Perhaps that should be reconsidered. In the meantime, the Defense Department has published a guide book for families to use in navigating this labyrinth, and we are adding case workers to help them. 

The president and the secretary of Defense appointed review groups to establish facts and chart the course ahead. As we work to run current programs well, the independent reviews will help shape future programs to ensure we support servicemembers in the manner the American people expect.
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