A retired Army Lt. Col is speaking out about the lack of care he has been receiving at his local VA Clinic. Dan Morgan is outraged and disappointed by the care provided by his local clinic in Wilmington, NC. Morgan has been placed on month-long waiting lists, ignored by healthcare providers, and even directed to youtube for medical advice by medical professionals.
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Morgan is forced to jump through bureaucratic hoops and work around layers upon layers of red tape to receive the care he needs. When he does receive “care” it is inadequate. Morgan, who served in the United States military for 29 years, had to wait more than a year to been seen by a specialist for recurring hip pain. Even with referrals from his primary care doctor at the VA he is unable to secure an appointment in a timely fashion. He is forced to live with debilitating pain.
Morgan claims that the long wait times are just one of many inadequate services provided by the VA clinic. He was referred to Youtube, rather than a physical therapist, for his hip pain by his primary care doctor when he couldn’t help Morgan secure and appointment. That same doctor also recommended googling “cheap chinese glasses” when confronted by Morgan about concerns for vision problems he was experiencing.
Fed up with the poor quality of care being provided for him Morgan requested changing doctors. He was directed to fill out even more paperwork, which he submitted, but he never received the requested transfer. Employees of the Wilmington, NC VA clinic claim that lack of financial backing and resources are to blame for the clinic’s shortcomings, not incompetence. Morgan’s primary care physician wrote the following statement in a letter to address the complaints of several veterans that visit the clinic:
“I think the VA in general is understaffed, underfunded, and I am now put in a position to do an amazing amount of keyboard data entry work for documenting visits, filing records and ordering labs and consult that no physician would have to do without secretarial help in the private sector.”
It seems to be a unanimous opinion among patrons of this particular clinic that the care is not adequate. The question now is whether this is a national issue or an issue within the Wilmington, NC community. Morgan claims to have had superior treatment at a VA clinic in Jacksonville, FL. Morgan lived in Jacksonville for a short period of time after retiring in 2011.
Morgan states that the staff there were responsive, attentive to his needs and even proactive in their treatment. He would receive test results on time and even receive follow up calls from the facility. It was everything he expected from healthcare professionals.
Are you or the Veterans in your life happy with the treatment that they receive at their local VA clinic?
Sound off in the comment section below!
