New Ways of Doing Business, New Tools...
nightmare at dallas va medical center
this past week - i took my mother to the va medical center in dallas
for a routine appointment - (which she went to) we went back to her standard clinic and wanted a doctor or nurse or someone
to look at a wound that is not healing. she has poor circulation,
and has been hospitalized before for wound care when she was in a
nursing home; i did not want a repeat of that. you would think
by the response of some of the medical staff that i was asking
them to donate a kidney to my mom. usually the care she has
received at this medical center has been above average - but
not always, and it has dramically improved in the 20 plus years
she has been going there.
but when one the the top nurses finally got a doctor to see
the wound - she stated that "don't do this again, you
know you need an appointment" and "just let this go"
so they want her to go from out patient to in patient because we
have to wait weeks for an appointment?
Let's review the facts --
although the clinic she was in was somewhat busy-
some of the staff had time to chit chat while they
could have been looking at the wound
a simple check of her med history would indicate
that she was in the hospital before (for over a month)
due to a similiar problem
and some of the staff should take several courses
in good customer service skills
the matter was finally resolved - a doctor did look at the
wound and prescribed some high level antibiotics and
special skin cream
my mother is elderly - she could die of natural causes just
sitting in the waiting room - her age and medical
condition all should of been taken into account
it finally was - 16 hours later from start of our
trip to being finally home .. we live in fort worth
it is an over 120 mile round trip via train and lite
rail...
there has to be a better way- put in an urgent care
clinic for clinic overflows and walk ins . because
i was about to take her to the va medical center's
emergency room
now if her regular doctor and regular nurse had been
in that day they would have seen her... unfortunately
they were not.
my mom served honorably in the Korean conflict was
stationed overseas right after WWII- she and other
veterans like her- deserve better
I am writing the Chief of Staff , as well as a Texas
Senator and the Secretary of veterans Affairs. Our
President is talking about univeral health care
and health care like the VA. (well, it's ok on
a good day... but no one should go through
what my mother and I went through this past week)
please note- not all the staff in that clinic
were un accommodating - that clinic usually runs
like a well oiled machine - but not that day. we
are usually very satisfied - but as stated before
not on that day.
there has got to be a better way...