DALLAS - The newly minted Secretary of Veterans Affairs told Dallas doctors that staffing is key for helping the VA recover from its massive scheduling scandal. Secretary Bob McDonald's comments come just months after a whistle-blower revealed lengthy appointment delays hidden by manipulated schedules at the Phoenix VA.
Several VA hospitals were placed under review, including the Dallas VA, where employees told Fox 4 the same thing was happening. The Dallas hospital is still under review. McDonald explains, "Our goal is simple: to provide quality medicine and first rate healthcare delivered with the same proactive courteous coordinated serves as the top ranked customer service companies in the county."
McDonald told some 15,000 members of the American Medical Association gathering in Dallas change is coming to the VA, and he offered a peek at his blue print.
It has 4 major points.
- Improving health care immediately
- Resetting the VA's culture of how employees relate to and act toward veterans
- Transform from "sick care" to "health care" targeting preventable diseases
- An efficient, transparent and accountable level of care.