# VA's new commercial



## mover1 (4 Nov 2010)

This is the first ad in VA's National Veterans Awareness Campaign. It features former Marine staff sergeant and Iraq War Veteran Robert Kugler. The campaign is intended to make Veterans aware of the VA benefits to which they may be entitled


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJneXGf5GAc

It shows that south of the border they have a whole different way of taking care of its vets.  Makes me realize that that 22 year old who has done a stint in the forces a tour in Afghanistan and get out fine and healthy doesn't have any benefits with our DVA. 

MODS if this is a repost please feel free to delete. Also in your Forums you should have a Veterans Affairs Column.  Unless I am blind and can't get a pension because no one believes me.


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## dogger1936 (4 Nov 2010)

Very interesting. My best friend was told today he will have to wait 36 months (nice way of saying 3 years) to get a painful injury from Afganistan fixed.....the kicker....thats best case scenerio. The thing with the US military is they have hospitals. Well run hospitals. I was in one of their DVA hospitals in El paso and was blown away by the treatment, staff....and they were going to operate THAT DAY if I required it. 

Our medical system is broken. Soldiers are falling through the cracks. one of my other soldiers injured in Afganistan called our CDU (UMSfor us older guys) to switch Dr's as the Dr assigned to him was not sending back his paperwork to VA, other Dr's he had to see at civilian emerg were telling him he required a surgery...yet this DR said no. So he called to see another Dr. The receptionist decided to be a dink to him and tell him to write a memorandum. I called and asked where this directive was that said this and she said if I come up she would give it to me and a memo format if I needed it. :rage: I told her my Adjt would be calling shortly.

I sent my young guy up to get the paperwork...and amazingly he suddenly didnt require it. 

I got a letter from our VAC 23 weeks ago that said  Iwould have my claim in 23 weeks.... I called today and all they can tell me it's still being decided on.And that they couldnt provide any more information.

The trips to other cities to visit THEIR dr's, the appeals, the lawyers.....really it's very difficult.

As I said in another post the US provide better health care to their troops. Yes we my have a upper hand on termonology etc on PTSD...but they provide MUCH better support,benifits.


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## George Wallace (4 Nov 2010)

dogger1936

I hear you, and I am not even broken.  I have seen one of the CF's best hospitals closed down, and the government make the decision to sink billions to move what was left into a civilian hospital that was slated for closure, but now saved because it was a Francophone hospital; a civilian hospital that seems to suddenly have all kinds of money to open up a new campus in "CFB Orleans".  Those in Kingston can still see the remnants of what was once a hospital and the nurses quarters by Hwy 15.  The same can be said about numerous Bases across the country, where hospitals have simply 'disappeared'.  We don't even have the proper services for the relatively healthy service members, let alone those who really need it.


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## Gunner98 (4 Nov 2010)

Let's not paint the US system with too wide a brush, have we forgotten Walter Reed Hospital.  It was just 3 years ago, "I want to allow Acting Secretary Geren, General Schoomaker, and the leaders of the Army Medical Command to focus completely on the way ahead and the Army Action Plan to improve all aspects of Soldier care. We are an Army Medical Department at war, supporting an Army at war -- it shouldn't be and it isn't about one doctor." 

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2943873


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## Rifleman62 (5 Nov 2010)

Your point should be that at the very least two very, very high ranking men got fired. How many others did not make the media.

I see the US system in San Antonio, at the Warrior and Family Support Centre, Fort Sam Houston where we are volunteers. Yes there are problems, but after experiencing the Cdn medical system (civilian and Military), VAC, etc there is no question what system is better.

Google the WFSC, the number of hospitals in San Antonio. Compare with any Cdn city.


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## Gunner98 (5 Nov 2010)

I spent 4 months at Fort Sam in 2005 and the upgrades were well underway.  The reality IMHO is that both systems have their challenges, but the US system has hung its hat on being at war to bring about change and funding.  In Canada, this has not been the case as the actual number of injured and affected troops remains a well kept secret.  Without transparency there will not be change north of the border.


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## dogger1936 (5 Nov 2010)

Simian Turner said:
			
		

> I spent 4 months at Fort Sam in 2005 and the upgrades were well underway.  The reality IMHO is that both systems have their challenges, but the US system has hung its hat on being at war to bring about change and funding.  In Canada, this has not been the case as the actual number of injured and affected troops remains a well kept secret.  Without transparency there will not be change north of the border.



Next year after we haul out it will not be an election thought or any thought in the minds of families. Red fridays will fissle out, and we'll be back to the ideal of senior citizen vets at the war memorial in ottawa once a year.

Having said that the medical system has started a panel to try to bring it to civilian standards. I took place on this board a few weeks ago. Am I confident that we will see the change? Doubtful.


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## PMedMoe (5 Nov 2010)

dogger1936 said:
			
		

> Having said that the medical system has started a panel to try to bring it to civilian standards. I took place on this board a few weeks ago. Am I confident that we will see the change? Doubtful.



Actually, that's probably the accreditation process which all health care centres in Canada must undergo.  It's a three-year cyclical program.

http://www.accreditation.ca/en/default.aspx

Not surprisingly, none of the CF hospitals are mentioned in the National List:  http://www.accreditation.ca/uploadedFiles/National%20Accredited%20Organizations.pdf


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## dogger1936 (5 Nov 2010)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> Actually, that's probably the accreditation process which all health care centres in Canada must undergo.  It's a three-year cyclical program.
> 
> http://www.accreditation.ca/en/default.aspx
> 
> Not surprisingly, none of the CF hospitals are mentioned in the National List:  http://www.accreditation.ca/uploadedFiles/National%20Accredited%20Organizations.pdf



Yes thats the one.


We sat down with members of our unit in a informal manner over some luch one day and asked them to provide us with some honest (no rank involved) feed back. Not Dr ***** sucks or anything but problem they have seen and ideas as to how to rectify it.

The civilians on the board were blown away with our problems listed. They just couldnt believe that compared to even poorly ran hospitals we were lacking. It was a sobering experience for all involved and I hope we some change come about.


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## PMedMoe (5 Nov 2010)

I guess it depends where you are.  I've been part of the panel at two CF hospitals, both of which have done quite well with the process.

I find our biggest problem with health care is lack of personnel.  Something that more than likely won't be fixed soon.


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## Gunner98 (5 Nov 2010)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> Not surprisingly, none of the CF hospitals are mentioned in the National List:  http://www.accreditation.ca/uploadedFiles/National%20Accredited%20Organizations.pdf



Moe, 

Your statement is not an entirely accurate reflection of the current situation: Many of the health service centres (Ottawa, Esquimalt, Halifax, Edmonton are accredited.)

Canadian Forces Health Services


Since 2000, the Canadian Forces have participated in Accreditation Canada' s accreditation program. Accreditation Canada has developed accreditation standards tailored to the distinctive culture of the Canadian Forces. 

On April 17, 2007, Accreditation Canada signed a new four-year contract with CFHS. This contract builds on the work, achievements, lessons learned, and partnership we have had with Canadian Forces over the past seven years. 

Under this contract, Accreditation Canada will be introducing and conducting a health system approach to CHFS (sic) accreditation. This approach will see the parent organization, Canadian Forces Health Services Group based at Headquarters in Ottawa, accredited along with its 19 clinics. For surveys, Accreditation Canada will continue to draw on a specialized pool of surveyors, including physicians, nurses, social workers and administrators, who have a background in military health care. 

Accreditation Canada will also be providing consultation services and training to quality improvement and risk management coordinators at the clinic level, in collaboration with the CFHS Quality Improvement Manager at Headquarters. 

CFHS is represented on Accreditation Canada’s Board of Directors and the advisory committees for the development of the accreditation program. Their input into standards specific to Canadian Forces is especially appreciated. 
http://www.accreditation.ca/canadian-forces-health-services/


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## PMedMoe (5 Nov 2010)

Simian Turner said:
			
		

> Moe,
> 
> Your statement is not an entirely accurate reflection of the current situation: Many of the health service centres (Ottawa, Esquimalt, Halifax, Edmonton are accredited.)



I didn't say they weren't accredited.  I said they weren't on the list.


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## Gunner98 (5 Nov 2010)

And they won't be - because CFHS is attempting to accredit the entire system to ensure wherever you go to be treated in a CF facility it will have the same standard.  It has been decided not to name the individual clinics until the entire system is accredited.


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