Unleashing A Firestorm - Veteran's Healthcare in the News

I wish I could take credit for the recent flurry of activity and attention focused on the scandal of veteran’s healthcare that I wrote about last week in The White Rhino Report. Since that article was published, the Secretary of the Army has been summarily dismissed by the new Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. Gates is reportedly furious over the Army’s slow and inadequate response to many reports of super-standard conditions at Walter Reed and elsewhere in the medical system. Walter Reed Hospital administrator, Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman, was fired, and replaced with another general. But then Gates found that the temporary replacement—Lt. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley has previously been at the helm of the troubled hospital, and it was this faux pas that led to the dismissal of Secretary of the Army, Francis J. Harvey.

I heard on the news this morning that Massachusetts Congressman Joseph Tierney is convening hearings on site at Walter Reed to get to the bottom of what needs to be done to fix this sick patient that is our nation’s healthcare system for veterans.

In my posting last week, I recommended that we write to our Congressmen. I have done so. See below for my e-mail message to Joe Tierney.

Congressman Tierney,

I want to commend you and encourage you in your efforts to shine the light of Congressional inquiry on the nagging problem of Veterans' health care.

I am an executive recruiter with a specialization in placing former military officers. I also have a brother who is a retired US Navy Senior Chief, so I have a vested interest in seeing these problems resolved.

Thank you for your efforts on behalf of our veterans who have served with honor.

Dr. Al Chase

I discovered a very convenient way to e-mail the Congressman that represents your district. The link below will lead you to the Website, Write Your Representative. It will ask you for your Zip code, and will connect you with the Website for your individual Congressman. Letters and e-mails from constituents from their own district receive the highest priority response by the congressmen and their staff.

http://www.house.gov/htbin/wrep_save

ABC newsman, Bob Woodruff and his wife are touring the country touting their new book, In An Instant: A Family’s Journey of Love and Healing. This timely book is also spotlighting the inadequacies of our system of treating wounded soldiers and Marines. I will talk more about the Woodruffs in a subsequent posting in this space.

There seems to be a perfect storm building to finally force our representative to deal with the deep challenges needed to reform our military and veterans’ healthcare system. We must keep up the pressure. I urge you to add your voice by writing to your Congressman and by making this issue a topic around the water cooler at your office and your dining table at home.

Let the healing begin.

Al Chase