2014

Back in 2014 this blog was one of the first to report on the troubled Veterans Health Administration facility in Phoenix where 40 veterans died while languishing on an eternal wait list to see a doctor. Since then, we've maintained a set of blog posts and articles that have related updates and status changes at the VA, as well as other issues that are affecting our veterans.  A subsequent investigation uncovered a system-wide inability to offer vets timely medical treatment. 57,436 newly enrolled veterans faced a minimum 90-day wait for medical care, and 63, 869 veterans who had enrolled over the past decade never received any appointment at all. In addition, a corrupt administrative culture was falsifying wait-time records in order to protect management performance bonuses and punishing whistle-blowers who tried to bring the wait-time mess to the public’s attention.

This blog received an email in the past week from a social worker in Des Moines. We have reproduced it here in its original form.

Much of the current political debate centers around:

• The loss of jobs and opportunities for the middle class-
• Whether college should be free for all Americans-
• How the Millennials can be expected to pay back the $ 1.3 trillion of college debt they have accumulated when they are left to default to jobs in McDonald’s-
• The job flight to third world countries causing the plight of our rust belt industrial inner cities-
• The cycle of crime and destitution that imprisons undereducated minorities-

History

Back in March of 2014 the FAMCare blog reported on a controversy that erupted within the Phoenix VA Healthcare System.  VA employees had reported that patients were dying while awaiting appointments and that administrators were issuing phony wait-time data while collecting bonuses. This local scandal led to inquiries across the nationwide VA Healthcare System revealing untimely care, false data, and problems with transparency, whistle-blower retaliation, and accountability throughout the system.

In today's rapid news cycle, we tend to hop from sensational story to sensational story rarely lingering long enough to get the full picture. In the past, this blog reported on the scandalous wait times that our veterans have endured in the VA system. It was so bad that some veterans died before getting in to see their VA Doctor. When the scandal came to light, many administrative heads rolled and the entire VA system was cast in a poor light. As is so often the case, however, there is so much more to the VA story.

I was watching TV the other night and came across a report on the news about our country’s homeless situation.  In the report – it was mentioned that there is a devastating trend in our American cities to criminalize the homeless.  I’ve since done some research into this area, inquired about this issue further with a few clients and here’s what I’ve found…

WHEN CLOUDS FORM

In 2013 this blog reported on the meltdown in service at the Veteran’s Administration (VA). Similar signs of meltdown are beginning to gather in Child Protective Services. IN general – our team has been communicating what our clients have been telling us for years and why they moved to FAMCare.  We’ve talked about problems in child welfare and CPS in the states of Florida, Georgia, California and Texas.  Case Worker colleagues report crushing workloads, fear-based management, impossible expectations, and stress levels that are sending case workers out on medical leave at an alarming rate.

Improving Access to Mental Health Act of 2015 (S.2173/H.R. 3712)

As you may have noticed, I have diligently avoided politics in this blog.  Every now and then, however, a social or professional issue wanders into the arena of politics, and I cannot completely ignore the issue.

Over the holidays I volunteered at my daughters’ school.  While there I had the pleasure of speaking to one of the teachers.  During our conversation we talked about the many things happening in our local schools and here in the county. Out of the various topics we discussed, one hit me very hard.  This teacher told me of the growing number of children who are "food insecure."  A term I had not heard before.  I was aware that our school offered discounted, sometimes free lunches to families who needed help, but was alarmed at the number of children in need in a community that is considered to be thriving.