Mike Rogers: Honoring America’s veterans
Each year on Nov. 11, we honor those brave men and women who have served our country in uniform and those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy today. As many of you across East Alabama may know, I have a Veterans Advisory Council that includes veterans from each of the 13 counties that make up the 3rd District. These council meetings allow me the opportunity to hear directly what is on the minds of our veterans and take their concerns back to Washington. This year our meeting is scheduled during the week of Veterans Day and will include a very special guest, Mr. Bennie Adkins of Opelika. Mr. Adkins was awarded the Medal of Honor in September 2014 for his acts of bravery on the battlefield in Vietnam. Mr. Adkins, like all of our veterans, is a true American hero and we look forward to having him at our meeting. During the past couple of years, scandals have occurred within our VA healthcare system, including the Central Alabama Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) in Montgomery. I think we all can agree our Veterans deserve the best care we can offer them. It is the least we can do to thank them for their selfless service. One of the changes implemented was the Veterans Choice Program that allows veterans to get health care from non-VA doctors. Unfortunately some of our veterans still haven’t been able to get the help they need. That is why I’ve joined U.S. Rep. Byrne in cosponsoring H.R. 1096, which would make the choice program work better by changing the criteria to closest medical service instead of medical facility. While this is just one fix to one issue it is an example of what we as a Congress have to continue to do to make sure we keep the the Department of Veterans Affairs accountable and responsive to the needs of our veterans. In addition, my office always stands ready to assist any veteran from the 3rd District when it comes to dealing with the VA. Not just on Veterans Day, but every day, I encourage all of us across East Alabama to remember the men and women in uniform that have lost their lives and to keep those still serving and their families in our thoughts and prayers. God Bless America. Mike Rogers represents Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District. He is in his third term.
Martha Roby: Strides taken at VA, but long road remains
This past week marked one year since the director of the Central Alabama Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHCS) was removed from his post when a pattern of gross mismanagement and systemic malfeasance was exposed. Weeks later he would become the first VA official in the country fired under our new VA accountability law. Deputy VA Secretary Sloan Gibson visited CAVHCS at my request for an update on progress made over the past year to improve what have been some of the worst VA medical centers in the country. I wanted him to see that, while some strides have been made to fix this broken system, major issues still remain. We had a productive meeting, and I appreciate how responsive Mr. Gibson and Southeast Regional Director Tom Smith have been to my concerns. One of the biggest contributors to the long wait times at CAVHCS has been the serious shortage of medical staff. There wasn’t a funding issue, but rather a management and human resources breakdown. Recently, steps have been taken to hire more doctors, nurses and medical support staff, which is certainly promising. But, as I told Mr. Gibson, we need that to start translating into better access to care. The fact is we still have more than 4,000 veteran patients who have waited longer than 90 days without an appointment. That’s unacceptable, and I’m going to keep pushing VA leaders to improve until we make this right. One issue we discussed at length was repairing CAVHCS’ relationships with local hospitals and other health providers. Why is that important? Well, the vast majority of that 4,000 number I mentioned comes from those who have been referred to outside physicians but are awaiting appointments. I believe the future of veterans health care will rely less on actual VA facilities and more on partnerships with outside medical providers for services. We have amazing doctors, hospitals and other providers in Alabama that are eager to play a larger role in caring for vets, and the money is there to do it. The problem is CAVHCS has had trouble in the past keeping up with payments on contracts, so many local providers are naturally hesitant. Mr. Gibson and Mr. Smith expressed great interest in working with me to bridge that gap and build a network within Alabama’s medical community that will improve access and enhance care for veterans. Above all, we badly need a permanent director at the Central Alabama VA who is both empowered and driven to make the necessary changes. After a year, it looks like we are close to having that person. I will keep you updated on these developments as we move forward. Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She is currently serving her third term.
