Martha Roby invites VA Secretary to Alabama to see veterans’ experience firsthand
Alabama 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby, a member of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, on Tuesday invited Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie to visit Alabama to visit the VA so that he could firsthand what is happening. Wilkie was participating in an oversight hearing when Roby extended the invitation. “We should want every single VA health care system in this nation to be the very best it can be for our veterans. But, at CAVHCS, we are unable to get simple things right, and it extends on to very egregious behavior… We should be giving veterans the best care in a timely fashion, and it just isn’t working,” said Roby “I am tired of getting status quo answers as to why CAVHCS continues to be one of the worst in the nation.” She continued, “I would like to invite you to Alabama to visit the VA so you can see firsthand what is happening. This is not working. It is not the way it should be, and it is a huge disservice to our men and women who have served our country.” Roby has been a longtime advocate for improving VA services and health care. During the committee hearing, she expressed her concerns with failing VA medical facilities, including the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS) in Montgomery. Find Roby’s full remarks, as prepared, below: Good morning, Mr. Secretary, Dr. Stone. I’m not really sure where to begin other than to say that I am grateful for the opportunity to have you here today, and I’m grateful to be back on this subcommittee for this Congress. The Central Alabama VA has continued to be one of the worst in the country. We had your Under Secretary for Clinical Health, Dr. Teresa Boyd, here two weeks ago. I’m not sure if you have had a chance to talk to her about our discussion. But, it was specifically about VISN 7 and Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System, known as CAVHCS, and the facility’s current state. I’m not sure, Madame Chair, that my five minutes is enough for you to fully appreciate what’s been going on there for many years. During my time in Congress, I have worked diligently with leadership at CAVHCS and VISN 7 to make sure that our veterans are receiving the best care we can give them. As I said to Dr. Boyd, we don’t know each other well, but you will learn that I am very passionate about this issue, and I am very frustrated. I don’t understand why the VA works on a bell curve and why somebody always has to be at the bottom of the barrel with a one-star rating. We should want every single VA health care system in this nation to be the very best it can be for our veterans. But, we’re unable to get simple things right, like just saying “hello” and greeting a veteran when they come in for their appointment to make them feel valued and like someone cares. This extends to very egregious behavior, and I can give you some really specific examples, and I’d like the opportunity to do that so you can fully appreciate what has been going on in this health care system for many years. There’s a culture of complacency and gross mismanagement. I want to be in the grocery store and have a veteran come up to me and tell me how wonderful their experience was at the VA – not to have to look into a man or woman’s eyes who has served our country honorably and see tears in their eyes because they have just flat out given up because they cannot get appropriate care. We should be giving them the best care in a timely fashion, and it just isn’t working. So, I’m grateful for the opportunity, again, to be here with you today, but I am tired of getting status quo answers as to why CAVHCS continues to be one of the worst in the nation. I am hopeful that you and I can cultivate a relationship so that you can fully appreciate and understand what is going on. I would like to invite you to Alabama to visit the VA so you can see firsthand what is happening. This is not working. It is not the way it should be, and it is a huge disservice to our men and women who have served our country.
Five things you need to know about Martha Roby
The primary elections are over, but some highly sought spots still remain open due to the primary races resulting in runoffs. One of those races is for the Alabama 2nd Congressional District seat. Incumbent Martha Roby faced off against four opponents in the primary election, one of them, Bobby Bright, won enough votes to pull Roby into a runoff set for July 17. Here’s five things you need to know about Martha Roby before the runoff: 1. She’s one of the most vocal pro-life members in the House. Roby was one of the first to speak out on the House floor to raise awareness of Planned Parenthood’s role in the harvest and sale of aborted babies’ body parts for profit. She has fought to redirect taxpayer funding from Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion business, to comprehensive health care alternatives. She is also a co-sponsor of the Protecting Life and Integrity in Research Act of 2017, which would ban federal funding for research using fetal tissue from abortion victims. Recently, she spoke in support of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. She also co-sponsored the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act and managed floor debate on the bill. 2. She endorsed, then un-endorsed now-President Donald Trump. In 2016, Roby had endorsed then-candidate Donald Trump for President. When the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape was published, in which Trump is heard saying demeaning things about women, Roby, now famously, retracted her endorsement. She said then that Trump’s behavior “makes him unacceptable as a candidate for president” and suggested he step aside to let another Republican lead the presidential ticket. 3. She’s a big proponent of veterans, and Veteran’s Affairs in particular. When Alabama Today asked Roby what her favorite area of service was, she replied: “Both my biggest responsibility and greatest joy in Congress is being in a position to fight for proper treatment for our nation’s veterans. We owe the men and women who have put their lives on the line in service to this great country the absolute best care available, but far too often we fall short. I remain committed to advocating for commonsense solutions to make the Department of Veterans Affairs work for veterans.” Roby has been instrumental in bringing military jobs to her district, including fighting to keep eight C-130 aircrafts at Montgomery’s Maxwell Air Force Base, and working in Congress to help the Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker avoid crippling budget cuts that would have decimated training capabilities. She has also been an advocate for Veterans Affairs and has worked tirelessly to address some of the misconduct at the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS). 2. She decided to run for office after hearing a graduation speech. Roby was in her third year at law school, almost ready to embark on her dream career in the music industry when she and her (now) husband Riley attended Roby’s younger brother’s high school graduation ceremony. “The commencement speaker talked about the ‘brain drain,’” Roby said. “He mentioned how important it is to go out into the world and do all the things you dream of doing, but then to return home to serve your community in whatever way you feel called. The challenge had a profound effect on both of us. Shortly thereafter I kicked off my first campaign in my hometown for the Montgomery City Council. 1. She got a puppy this year And she’s adorable. Also her name is Ruth Roby, how cute it that? Beyond being an adorable companion, research has also shown that owning a pet can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and increase social interaction and physical activity, which sounds like the perfect fit for an on-the-go Congresswoman. Meet Ruth Roby!!! Happy New Year! #puppy A post shared by Martha Roby (@martharoby) on Jan 2, 2018 at 8:45pm PST Ruth had a fun day at #DoggyDayCare #TiredPuppy #RobyOut A post shared by Martha Roby (@martharoby) on Feb 9, 2018 at 1:52pm PST
Martha Roby pays tribute to veterans on House floor
In a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives Tuesday, Alabama 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby honored America’s veterans and said advocating for those who have served this nation is one of the most rewarding parts of her job. “I take my responsibility to look out for veterans very seriously, whether through pushing for better policies, fighting to improve access to VA medical services, or going to bat for someone the bureaucracy has left behind,” Roby said. “I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to everyone who has served this country and to their families. Our country is great because of the men and women who were willing to sacrifice on our behalf.” Roby also shared the news that the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS), which serves all of Alabama’s Second Congressional District, has improved by another star rating. CAVHCS now ranks three out of five stars — a significant improvement from two years ago when the system ranked as one of the nation’s worst. Watch Roby’s tribute below: Read Roby full floor speech, as prepared, below: Thank you, M. Speaker. In the year 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year, the armistice ending World War I was signed. Originally known as Armistice Day, Congress later passed and President Dwight Eisenhower signed a resolution officially designating November 11th as Veterans Day. Now, every year, Americans pause on this special day to recognize all those, young and old, who have served our country in uniform. While we should honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans every day, this holiday provides a unique opportunity for us to come together as a nation and pay tribute to the men and women who put their lives on the line for our freedom. This year I’ll be participating in my hometown of Montgomery’s Veterans Day event, and I highly encourage you and your family to attend the festivities in your area. I can promise you that you won’t regret it. For me, it’s not only an opportunity to express my gratitude to those who have served, but it’s also a chance for my children to meet veterans and to better understand the sacrifices that have been made for us. If you can’t attend an event in person, I hope you will take time to reach out to friends or relatives who have served to let them know they are appreciated. Mr. Speaker, this Veterans Day comes as services for veterans are improving – both on a national level and locally in Alabama’s Second Congressional District. I have been impressed by the leadership of Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. David Shulkin. He’s been making the long-troubled Department work better for those it serves. Closer to home for me, the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System has again improved its service rating and now ranks three out of five stars. This is encouraging news, especially considering that just a few short years ago the Central Alabama VA was one of the nation’s worst. Our VA now has the steady leadership of Dr. Linda Boyle, and there’s no question that her guidance has made a difference in making this sustained progress. I’m eager to see it continue. We still have significant issues to address at our Central Alabama VA, which is why I will remain actively engaged in working to turn around the system. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct honor to represent a district that is home to one of the nation’s highest concentrations of veterans and retired military personnel. One of the most rewarding parts of this job is being able to advocate for those who have served this nation in uniform. I take my responsibility to look out for veterans very seriously, whether through pushing for better policies, fighting to improve access to VA medical services, or going to bat on behalf of someone the bureaucracy has left behind. So Mr. Speaker, I would like to close by extending my sincere gratitude to everyone who has served this country and to their families. Our country is great because of the men and women who were willing to sacrifice on our behalf. Thank you. I yield back.
Martha Roby: Honor veterans in your hometown
In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year, the armistice ending World War I was signed. Originally known as Armistice Day, Congress later passed and President Dwight Eisenhower signed a resolution officially designating November 11 as Veterans Day. Now, every year, Americans pause on this special day to recognize all those, young and old, who have served our country in uniform. While we should honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans every day, this holiday provides a unique opportunity for us to come together as a nation and pay tribute to the men and women who put their lives on the line for our freedom. I highly encourage you and your family to attend a Veterans Day ceremony in your area. Many towns throughout Central and South Alabama will be holding special observances, and I’ve had the privilege to attend several over the years. This year, I will be participating in Montgomery’s Veterans Day event at Riverwalk Stadium. For me, it’s not only an opportunity to express my gratitude to those who have served, it’s also a chance for my children to meet veterans and to better understand the sacrifices that have been made on our behalf. If you can’t attend an event in person, I hope you’ll take time to reach out to friends or relatives who have served to let them know they are appreciated. This Veterans Day comes as services for veterans are improving, both on a national and local level. I’ve been impressed by the leadership and ingenuity of Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. David Shulkin in making the long-troubled Department of Veterans Affairs work better for those it serves. Closer to home, the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS) has again improved its service rating and now ranks three out of five stars. That’s encouraging news, especially considering that just a few short years ago the Central Alabama VA was one of the nation’s worst. There’s no question that finally having the steady leadership of CAVHCS Director Dr. Linda Boyle has contributed to this sustained progress, and I’m eager to see it continue. We still have significant issues to address at CAVHCS, which is why I remain actively engaged in working to turn around this system. It is my distinct honor to represent a district that is home to one of the nation’s highest concentration of veterans and retired military personnel. One of the most rewarding parts of my job is being able to advocate on behalf of those who have served this nation in uniform. I take my responsibility to look out for veterans very seriously, whether it is through pushing for better policies, fighting to improve access to VA medical services, or going to bat on behalf of someone the bureaucracy has left behind. If you are a veteran, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to you and to your family. This country is great because you and people like you were willing to sacrifice on our behalf. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband Riley and their two children.
Martha Roby: Strengthening protections for brave whistleblowers
The House recently passed S. 585, the Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act, and sent it to the President’s desk for his signature. This legislation will strengthen penalties for those who retaliate against federal employee whistleblowers, add protections and opportunities for whistleblowers placed on probation, and ensure that all federal employees have a greater knowledge of whistleblower rights and protections. I strongly supported this bill and took the opportunity to speak on the House floor urging my colleagues to pass it. I shared my experience working with whistleblowers inside the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS) to demonstrate why we need better protections for those who shine a light on wrongdoing and stronger penalties for those would retaliate against them. This month marks three years since the Director of the Central Alabama VA became the first senior manager in the country fired as a result of the waitlist scandal. As you know, this was a major step toward turning around one of the nation’s worst VA systems and restoring trust with the veterans it is supposed to serve. Progress has been made, but we still have a lot of work to do to improve service at CAVHCS. However, none of the progress that we have made would have been possible without the brave whistleblowers inside the VA who told me the truth about what was going on inside those walls. Two brave individuals in particular, Sheila Meuse and Rich Tremaine, told me the truth about major instances of misconduct and mismanagement when nobody else would. Seeing no other way to achieve change, they shared their story with The Montgomery Advertiser at great personal risk to their careers. The stories are well known: the missing X-Rays, the manipulated pulmonology records, the crack house incident – the list goes on. The instances of mismanagement, negligence, and even criminal activity were shocking, and their exposure led to a major shakeup inside the VA. Four CAVHCS senior managers were removed and the entire chain of command from Montgomery to Atlanta to Washington, D.C. was replaced. Without the brave whistleblowers, we would have probably never known, and I doubt anything would have changed. To me and to the veterans who’s lives they probably saved, these whistleblowers are heroes, but that’s not how they were treated by VA officials. They were treated as enemies and outcasts and faced severe retaliation because they did the right thing. Rich Tremaine actually testified before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and detailed the systemic way some VA officials attempted to silence and marginalize him. The effects of his blowing the whistle on wrongdoing follow him to this very day even though he is far away from Montgomery, Alabama. You see, my experience working to clean house at our Central Alabama VA taught me a frustrating truth about the culture in some parts of the VA. The system routinely goes out of its way to protect those who don’t do their jobs and even harm veterans, but then it goes after those who try to stop that misbehavior. For years because of poorly written civil service laws and powerful unions, too many VA employees got the message that misconduct, negligence, and poor performance would be tolerated, but blowing the whistle on that kind of behavior would not be. All too frequently VA employees who are caught doing the wrong thing are “reprimanded,” shuffled around to different jobs, or allowed to quietly retire, while those who try to do right by veterans by shining a light on misconduct are persecuted, intimidated, or worse. There’s a reason federal employees face retaliation for speaking up. It’s not because people are naturally mean or because there’s some type of misunderstanding. The reason whistleblowers face systemic retaliation is because it works. When a brave whistleblower faces intimidation and persecution for their actions the other employees see it and they know what will happen to them if they come forward and tell the truth. This practice has a powerful effect, and we saw it firsthand in Montgomery. That is so wrong, and its time to put a stop to it by punishing those who do it with harsher penalties. We need to rethink our civil service laws in this country to make sure public servants live up to the honor and responsibility of the public trust. I am confident that the legislation we recently passed is another step in the right direction, and I will continue to fight for needed improvements to the VA that our nation’s veterans deserve. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband Riley and their two children.
ADPH parts ways with controversial new employee, terminated VA director James Talton
On Friday, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) confirmed the controversial new hire of James Talton, the former Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS) Director fired for negligence in 2014. Less than one week later, the ADPH confirmed Thursday they had parted ways with the former Director. “Effective today, Mr. James Talton is no longer employed with the Alabama Department of Public Health. The Department wishes him well in his future endeavors,” a brief statement sent to Alabama read. The decision came after a public outcry from Yellowhammer State veterans and one state lawmaker who didn’t approve of ADPH’s hiring decision. Enterprise-Republican state Rep. Barry Moore posted a letter on Facebook Thursday morning to State Health Officer Tom Miller expressing his frustration and disappointment in the decision to hire Talton, saying it showed a “severe lack of judgment.” Moore is chairman of the Alabama House of Representatives’ Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. Last week, Miller had gone on record saying Talton was a “good fit” for the job. He had confirmed Talton’s role would oversee a group of units including finance, information technology, and vital statistics. Today, he said Talton had become a distraction. “It reached a point where it was interfering with us getting our work done,” said Miller. Alabama 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby, who worked extensively to remove Talton from the VA in 2014, quickly responded to the announcement from ADPH. “This is the right decision,” Roby said. “I worked with courageous whistleblowers to expose major wrongdoing at CAVHCS: Missing X-rays, the crack house incident, the manipulated wait times — go down the list. There was a clear record of neglect at CAVHCS, and I wouldn’t want anyone implicated in that scandal to hold a position of public trust.” Roby worked with whistleblowers and the press to bring to light egregious instances of neglect and misconduct at the CAVHCS in 2014, which ultimately led Talton to be the first VA senior manager in the nation fired as a result of the 2014 VA scandal. In 2014, Roby deemed Taltons’ firing from the VA “a necessary and important step toward instilling accountability at the VA and building trust within the veteran community.” Last week, Roby declined to comment publicly upon Talton’s ADPH hiring announcement as the issue involves a nonfederal state agency. “As a member of Congress, it isn’t my role to tell state officials how to do their job or who they should hire,” Roby explained. “However, the history at the Central Alabama VA speaks for itself, and I believe the state made the right decision. Our work to improve veterans’ services in Central Alabama continues. In fact, I’m optimistic we can get a new, stronger VA accountability bill to the President’s desk as soon as next week.” Watch Roby’s reaction to ADPH’s decision below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-1CFaMoM8M
Terminated VA director James Talton hired by Ala. Dept. of Public Health
In 2014, James Talton was the first employee terminated by the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS) for neglect of duty following a law that that helped speed up the process of removing top VA executives for poor performance or misconduct. On Friday, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) confirmed he’s hired by the department and named the new Public Health Administrative Officer. WFSA 12 News reports according to the Alabama State Personnel Department, Talton’s salary with ADPH is $86,390.40. Talton’s firing from the CAVHCS came amid numerous allegations of rampant abuse and mismanagement at a VA health care facility in Phoenix, Arizona. At the time, Alabama 2nd District Rep. Martha Roby said the Phoenix revelations, particularly the scheduling fraud, “sounded familiar” compared to the many complaints she received from veteran constituents. By June, it was reported that CAVHCS employees had engaged in particularly egregious scheduling manipulation. And, even with the artificially inflated numbers, CAVHCS had some of the longest wait times for veterans patients in the country. “Numerous instances of misconduct, negligence and cover-up within the Central Alabama VA led to our system becoming one of the nation’s worst,” Roby said in 2014. Ultimately Roby and her staff began digging deeper to find out what was really happening inside CAVHCS, which ultimately led to Talton being placed on administration leave in August while the administrative and clinical practices of CAVHCS were being investigated. In October, Talton was fired. Roby deemed it “a necessary and important step toward instilling accountability at the VA and building trust within the veteran community.”
Martha Roby: Two years after scandal, progress and hope at Central Alabama VA
This week marks two years since the former director of the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS) was fired for mismanagement, after major instances of misconduct, fraud and abuse were exposed. It was an important action to take toward instilling accountability at the VA, but also the first step in the process of rebuilding a health care system that many veterans in Central and South Alabama depend on. That process has been not been easy. Many obstacles have made the path to improving veterans’ care difficult. However, there is significant progress to report. CAVHCS hospitals once ranked the worst in the country for delays in completing patient appointments. Today, the average wait time for completed appointments has been cut in half, from 16.29 days in April 2015 down to 8.54 last month. Much of the improvement can be can be attributed to the continued recruitment of key health care staff, from nurses and doctors to senior managers. I hope this momentum can continue, particularly in the area of mental health services, where a national shortage of professionals has made it difficult for VA to fill vacancies. I’m also eager to see continued improvement in the Choice program that allows veteran patients to access care via local community providers if they so choose. After two years without a permanent director at CAVHCS, Dr. Linda Boyle has been selected to take the helm. Dr. Boyle is a retired Air Force Colonel who spent 24 years in the military, serving as the Medical Group Commander at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida before joining the VA. She has been working as the Interim Director at the Alaska VA Health System for the past year. Dr. Boyle’s appointment is welcome news. The culture of any organization is set by leadership. I believe no single action is more important toward improving veterans’ healthcare in Central and South Alabama than having a permanent director in place who is committed to serving veterans and empowered to make the necessary changes. I look forward to meeting Dr. Boyle in person soon and I stand ready to help her be successful. Last week, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed into law a bill funding the VA for the next fiscal year. The bill includes a nine percent increase over last year’s total funding to meet increased demand at the VA, with much of it directed toward the most pressing needs: suicide prevention, mental health care services, traumatic brain injury care, and eliminating veteran homelessness. Also, greater whistleblower protections were added and funding was included to ensure resources are available for the VA Inspector General (IG) to continue its important work, including within Central Alabama. The statistics I see and the stories I hear from veteran constituents make me optimistic about the future at the Central Alabama VA. I will continue to press for improvements, doing my part to help build upon recent progress to make sure it is real and lasting. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband, Riley and their two children.
Congressman Mike Rogers: Giving back for Christmas
Each year before Christmas, I like to take the opportunity to highlight some of the great things the folks across East Alabama are doing for each other. Our state is filled with people who give back to their communities and towns by helping those who need it the most. The Tuskegee Fire Department collects Toys for Tots, Tuskegee municipal employees adopt families through DHR for Christmas and the Macon County Ministers Council provides for needy families. In Randolph County, the Pilot Club provides toys for the less fortunate. The Christian Service Center in Chambers County provides food, clothing and gifts for the needy. In St. Clair County, a mom who was having a bad day was slipped a $100 bill and a Bible verse. She shared the story on social media in hopes of finding the good Samaritan, but has promised to pay it forward. Pell City police officers have been working hard to help raise money and have toys donated for families in their area. Alabama Childhood Food Solutions which covers Talladega County, helps provide food for children from low income families. These children receive free breakfasts and lunches at school, but don’t know where their next meal will come from on weekends or holidays. In Lincoln, the Toys for Tykes program is underway to ensure needy children in the area have gifts. The Cleburne County Toys for Tots Program has been collecting toys since before Halloween, so there should be some very happy faces Christmas morning. In Pike Road, the town is hosting a supplies drive for Veterans for the sixth year in a row. The items will be delivered to Veterans in the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS) at both Montgomery and Tuskegee. In Anniston, at the Regional Medical Center (RMC), employees at the hospital are purchasing toys and gifts for the children of needy employees of RMC. This is just a small sampling of some of the wonderful ways East Alabamians are giving back to those less fortunate during the holidays. I wish you all a blessed and Merry Christmas season. I want to hear from you on this or any issue. Please sign up for my e-Newsletter at www.mikerogers.house.gov, like me on Facebook at Congressman Mike Rogers, follow me on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram at RepMikeRogersAL, on Tumblr and subscribe to my YouTube page at MikeRogersAL03.
Martha Roby: VA “Takeover” bill gets hearing
As someone who represents a district with a high concentration of veterans, an important part of my job in Congress is making sure national Department of Veterans Affairs leaders pay attention to Alabama and remain focused on improving the long-troubled Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System. We certainly got their attention last year. Working with courageous whistleblowers and the press, we were able to expose major instances of misconduct, negligence and cover-up that led to the director of the Central Alabama VA being the first manager terminated for cause under the new VA reform law. That was just over a year ago, and since then, our efforts to work with VA leaders to overhaul the system and improve access to care have been frustrating to say the least. Out of this frustration came an important lesson: we cannot depend on a broken bureaucracy to fix itself. I believe one major problem is that for a year we had been asking for VA leaders to intervene at this troubled system, rather than requiring them to. I believe it’s time to change that, which is why I filed legislation that would compel top VA officials to intervene and take over failing VA medical centers. It’s called the Failing VA Medical Center Recovery Act, and it offers the VA new tools to turn around the worst of our health care centers. Further, it puts responsibility for doing so squarely on the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. I recently presented my VA “takeover” bill before a hearing of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health, where I discussed the legislation with fellow lawmakers, representatives from the VA and other interested groups. Not surprisingly, some entrenched in the system weren’t welcoming to a bill that disrupts the status quo. Still, I appreciate their willingness to engage, and I remain hopeful that they will embrace this legislation as a powerful new tool for improving veterans’ health care services. I am willing to work with anyone who truly wants to improve the VA through this proposal or others. But, let me tell you what I’m not willing to do: I’m not willing to let my bill become a victim of the VA’s culture of complacency. Minor tweaks here and there aren’t going to cut it. We need wholesale change, and the veterans I represent know it. I am cautiously optimistic about the future prospects for the Central Alabama VA. The numbers have been improving in recent months and a new, permanent director will soon be selected to bring needed stability. I’m working to bridge the gap between the VA and the local medical community to make sure we have a strong network of local providers where veterans can access care quickly and without driving long distances. I will keep you updated on this progress as we go. Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She is currently serving her third term.
Martha Roby: Breaking the bureaucracy
This week the U.S. House passed H.R. 1994, the VA Accountability Act, to empower the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with the legal authority to swiftly remove problem employees at all levels. You may recall that Congress passed a bill last year similarly empowering the Secretary to remove bad actors, but that legislation only authorized him to fire senior officials. Under this law, the former Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS) director became the first official terminated, but as I said at the time, blame for all of the misconduct and mismanagement did not rest with one person alone. This bill is important in solving some of the broader problems the VA has had with accountability nationwide. However, more acute problems still exist at particularly troubled VA facilities that I believe require more specific action. While the director in Central Alabama was rightly removed this past August, the system has continued to struggle. Recently, VA medical centers in Montgomery and Tuskegee were identified as worst and second worst, respectively, in the nation for delays in patient appointment completions. Communication and coordination between various levels of management are still badly out of sync at a time when we can least afford it. And, VA leadership continues to point to the various layers of bureaucracy for why problems persist. That’s why this week I introduced legislation that would break through the bureaucracy and require top VA leaders to come in and take over failing systems, like Central Alabama. My bill, H.R. 3234, the Failing VA Medical Center Recovery Act, compels top VA leadership to send a “rapid response team” to take over our worst facilities and turn them around. This is the anti-bureaucracy. This is the team no complacent VA employee wants to see coming because they know the status quo is about to get shaken up. Much like the threat of a “takeover” of a failing school by the state superintendent, this puts VA medical centers on notice that we will no longer tolerate their incompetence on behalf of our veterans. Under my bill, determination of a failing facility would be based strictly on data — not media coverage or the opinion of the Secretary. And, the takeover trigger would be automatic, not optional or based on the whims of Washington. The House was right to empower the VA Secretary with the authority to enforce greater accountability. Now, we need to require him to use it to intervene at our worst performing facilities. That’s what the Failing VA Medical Center Recovery Act does, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance this legislation in the coming weeks and months. Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She is in her third term.
Lawmakers keep VA failures front and center
As a recent spate of news about neglect and fraud in the federal Department of Veterans Affairs continues to develop, a handful of Alabama Congressional delegates are continuing to keep VA issues on the front burner. “I am outraged that our veterans are still being made to wait for medical care,” U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell recently told Alabama Today. “Providing high-quality care and benefits to our nation’s veterans is one of our most fundamental obligations, and we must do more to live up to that promise. I proudly sponsored the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014, which President Obama signed into law. “This new law has helped VA medical centers across the country hire more physicians and enabled some veterans to seek private care, yet problems still persist at underperforming facilities like the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System in Montgomery and Tuskegee, Alabama. “We heard more than enough excuses. Our nation’s heroes should not be made to wait for quality care, and to ask them to do so violates our core principles. We need a permanent director who is ready – and willing – to do more for our veterans.” Congressman Bradley Byrne has also taken action to rectify much longer than average wait times at the Central Alabama VA. He recently introduced legislation that would create a new clinic in Mobile to ease the long backlogs currently on the books at VA providers, but has also said the problems run deep and deserve a thorough remediation at the administrative level. “Our veterans have waited far too long for a new VA clinic in Mobile, and it is past time the VA moves the process forward,” Byrne said in a prepared statement last week. “The current Mobile clinic is outdated and too small to adequately meet the needs of our area’s veterans. Years ago the VA committed to the construction of a new clinic in Mobile, but bureaucratic obstacles continue to hold the process up.” Sen. Richard Shelby also spoke with Alabama Today on the matter, indicating that VA scrutiny is a concern in the upper chamber of Congress as well. “It is extremely disappointing and unacceptable that long wait times continue to plague the Central Alabama VA,” said Shelby in a statement special to Alabama Today. “Our veterans in Alabama and across the country deserve better, which is why I will continue to press the VA to correct these issues and fight to ensure that our veterans receive timely and effective health care services.” U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of Calhoun County in Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District is working on the issue from his position on the coveted House Armed Services Committee. He says he is displeased to say the least about the way Alabama vets are receiving short shrift from those whose job is to serve them. “The mistreatment at these VA facilities, including in Alabama, of our men and women who have served our country in uniform is unconscionable to me,” told Alabama Today. “Our Veterans deserve the very best at these facilities and I hope these wrongs will be made right.” Last week we chronicled U.S. Rep. Martha Roby‘s efforts on VA care access. She was one of the first high-ranking Alabama officials to speak with whistleblower Richard Tremaine, who recently testified before Congress about a years-long pattern of cover ups and denial of responsibility on the part of the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System where he is associate director. “That culture has festered at Central Alabama for years,” Roby said. “It has carried over through multiple directors, and it isn’t going to change until Secretary McDonald gets serious and puts leadership in place that will clean house. “We need a permanent system director who is empowered and willing to change the lousy culture and turn the place around. I’ll take that message back to Washington … where improving care for veterans remains my top priority.”
