Walter Reed Hospitial

[Spider]

oh we support the troops ......... ****ing liars , sent them in without Proper equipment , no clear plan , then they get injured , and get treated like shít back home .......... all the posters here that shout I support the troops , supporting the troops when they are fine and healthy a different deal when they need care ..... Shame on us , Shame on all of us , and most of all Shame on the ones that support this ****ing Iraqi war ............... I know lets have more tax cuts ........ ****ing losers
http://www.rawstory.com//news/2007/N...obed_0221.htmlNeglect of wounded US soldiers probed
RAW STORY
Published: Wednesday February 21, 2007
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The US Defense Department said it is reviewing the way wounded service members are cared for at military hospitals following disclosures of shocking bureaucratic neglect.

"There's plenty of outrage," said White House spokesman Tony Snow, responding to a Washington Post report citing bitter complaints from veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center outside Washington.

But he said the army was carrying out an investigation of conditions at the hospital and that there should be no doubt about President George W. Bush's commitment to veterans.

"The men and the women who have gone and fought for our country over there, they deserve the best care," Snow said.

The Pentagon said reviews of medical care at the premier military hospitals, Walter Reed and the National Naval Medical Center, have been launched by the army and navy's respective civilian chiefs.

An independent review group also will be formed to look into outpatient care and administrative process at the two hospitals.

The action followed an investigation by the Washington Post that found that seriously wounded service members treated as outpatients at Walter Reed lingered there virtually forgotten for 18 months or more because of bureaucratic snafus.

Walter Reed and the National Naval Hospital at Bethesda, Maryland near Washington are both renowned for their care of soldiers with combat injuries.

But the Post said the poor treatment came later in the bureaucratic handling of some 700 people wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan who are being treated as outpatients but who are quartered on hospital grounds or nearby buildings.

The Post said some soldiers were staying in a building infested with mold and rodents and roaches.

In other cases, it took months for wounded soldiers to get disability pay or a decision on whether they would remain in the service.

"We are committed to improving the clinical and administrative processes, including improving temporary living conditions for our service members and families," William Winkenwerder, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs said.

A senior US defense official, who asked not to be identified, said Defense Secretary Robert Gates urged the review and that results be quickly reported.

Gates met with top army officials earlier in the day, the official said.

The army also is investigating allegations raised by the Post that a former official in charge of seeing that private donations got to wounded soldiers was at the same time raising funds for a private charity.

In the US Senate, Democratic lawmakers said they were appalled and called for legislation that would require inspections and other measures designed to improve conditions at military hospitals.

"The brave men and women wounded at war should receive the best we have to offer and the highest quality of care," said Democratic Senator Barack Obama, a presidential hopeful for the 2008 race and outspoken opponent of the Iraq war.

Obama and Senator Claire McCaskill said they would introduce a bill seeking to raise standards at military hospitals for returning soldiers wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan.

The proposed "legislation would cut red tape, improve service, and require frequent inspections of all active duty military hospitals," Obama said in a statement.

[cutthemdown]

Making our military hospitals the best the can be should be a priority. The government should be ashamed that they seem not to be. GET IT DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cutthemdown]

I don't see this as a left/right issue at all spide. This is an issue I would think every single american would agree needs to be made right. Military has been accussed before of not taking care of the soldiers after wars are over. We need to make sure they get best possible care.

[Spider]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

I don't see this as a left/right issue at all spide. This is an issue I would think every single american would agree needs to be made right. Military has been accussed before of not taking care of the soldiers after wars are over. We need to make sure they get best possible care.

It is a right or left issue ........ Tax cuts , go back and look we have never had a tax cut durin war , this is why , we will never be able to take care of all the vets to their satisfaction , but we have to have standards , and this cost Money ........ repeal the Bush tax cuts , lets get these people back on the road to leading the best life they can have

[Dudeskey]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

I don't see this as a left/right issue at all spide. This is an issue I would think every single american would agree needs to be made right.

As far as I'm concerned the buck stops @ the Commander in Chief's desk... Sure you could throw Rummy under the bus, but he's already covered in skidmarks for other reasons... Hell maybe even go back to Bill Cohen's (sp?) tenure , but regardless, I agree, its unacceptable... Our troops our sticking their necks out there, the least they deserve is access to the best medical care possible... Oh, and some god damn body armor

Bottom line, the Pentagon has their priorities way the hell out of wack

[Stormontheplains]

Maybe if we quit taking care of other countrys trash "Illegals" we could then take that money and give it to the vets without raising taxes.

[Spider]

Originally Posted by Stormontheplains

Maybe if we quit taking care of other countrys trash "Illegals" we could then take that money and give it to the vets without raising taxes.

or quit spending billions in iraq..............

[Dudeskey]

Originally Posted by Stormontheplains

Maybe if we quit taking care of other countrys trash "Illegals" we could then take that money and give it to the vets without raising taxes.

Thats easy... make stiff penalties against companies for employing illegals in the first place, like dissolving them & auctioning off their assets if they are caught employing illegal workers... If there's no work, they'll stop coming IMO

[Spider]

Originally Posted by Urinal_Cake

Thats easy... make stiff penalties against companies for employing illegals in the first place, like dissolving them & auctioning off their assets if they are caught employing illegal workers... If there's no work, they'll stop coming IMO

and cut into Profits ? How dare you .......How dare you sir , you really expect Mobil ,Exxon , Texaco to lose profit ? How dare you ..............These companies will die .......... How dare you ......... ****ing republicans remind me of those aliens on deeps space nine star trek , what are they called = profit is everything.....cowardly little guys they have a grand poobah or something

[BroncsRule]

Feringi.

The Seventh Rule of Acquisition is: "War is Good for Business".

and of course, the First Rule of Acquisition is: "Once you have the customer's money, never, ever give it back."

[Denver Crush]

Originally Posted by §Pide®

or quit spending billions in iraq..............

or losing the money in iraq. 9 billion just up and dissapears. This is a left/right issue. For the last 12 years republicans have the held the top positions on the councils that make these budget decisions.

[Crushaholic]

We need to look at government waste before we look anywhere else for money. We DEFINITELY need regular inspections of one of our most infamous and trusted hospitals in the country. The wounded vets deserve it...

[cutthemdown]

So spide you want to raise taxes? I just showed a thread that figures we all pay about 40 percent of our income into tax as it is. I can't really afford to pay anymore in tax can you?

[Spider]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

So spide you want to raise taxes? I just showed a thread that figures we all pay about 40 percent of our income into tax as it is. I can't really afford to pay anymore in tax can you?

raise taxes huh ........... How about repeal for the top 10% ......... **** , I already pay , I dont get money back , if anyone should be bítching should be me .......... 9 Dependants and I still payed in 2,800 and some change ........ Dont even pretend you are in my league

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

So spide you want to raise taxes? I just showed a thread that figures we all pay about 40 percent of our income into tax as it is. I can't really afford to pay anymore in tax can you?

Republican talking point, nothing more. Repealing the tax cuts for the wealthy that Bush gave them won't affect you unless you make over $400,000.

[OregonBronco]

IMO, the government gets plenty of tax money from us already. The solution is to stop wasting it on no-bid contracts and pork-barrel spending. Oh yeah, and how much has been wasted on the war in Iraq? Let's see...

http://nationalpriorities.org/index....per&Itemid=182

Oh, it looks like we're up to $368 billion now. What do you think an infusion of $368 billion could do for our hospitals and schools?

[Spider]

Originally Posted by OregonBronco

IMO, the government gets plenty of tax money from us already. The solution is to stop wasting it on no-bid contracts and pork-barrel spending. Oh yeah, and how much has been wasted on the war in Iraq? Let's see...

http://nationalpriorities.org/index....per&Itemid=182

Oh, it looks like we're up to $368 billion now. What do you think an infusion of $368 billion could do for our hospitals and schools?

would do wonders in alot of areas ................yeah they do get alot of tax off of us , my wifes uncle has a liver disease , lung disease , and bone cancer , his insurance wont pay for stem cell surgery , and i cant pay for it , I have offered some money to help , but no where near enough ....... 368 Billion would go along ways in helping people in his condition ...... The man has worked everyday of his life even opened up his own business .........

[loborugger]

Listening to the radio this afternoon, they mentioned that the commanding general at Walter Reed lives across the street from the building - in a mansion like estate. He says he was unaware of the conditions at the hospital cuz he didnt go in the place.

What a revelation.

The Army's official statement is that its not a lack of $$$ it was a lack of leadership at the highest level at the hospital. Now that the problem has been IDed, (they say) the money exists the rectify the problem.

Yet, much like the Abu Ghraib issue, I imagine that nothing will come of this, ie, no senior officers will be charged with derelection of duty or anything like that.

What a shame.

[Spider]

Originally Posted by loborugger

Listening to the radio this afternoon, they mentioned that the commanding general at Walter Reed lives across the street from the building - in a mansion like estate. He says he was unaware of the conditions at the hospital cuz he didnt go in the place.

What a revelation.

The Army's official statement is that its not a lack of $$$ it was a lack of leadership at the highest level at the hospital. Now that the problem has been IDed, (they say) the money exists the rectify the problem.

Yet, much like the Abu Ghraib issue, I imagine that nothing will come of this, ie, no senior officers will be charged with derelection of duty or anything like that.

What a shame.

well we the people know about this now , Changes will come .........I never thought the Vets were treated this bad .........Veterinary Hospitals are better then this , that freaking Race horse Barbaro got better treatment , and that aint right

[Spider]

Originally Posted by BroncsRule

Feringi.

The Seventh Rule of Acquisition is: "War is Good for Business".

and of course, the First Rule of Acquisition is: "Once you have the customer's money, never, ever give it back."

Yeah thats them , I was thinking they was called Klingons ......... Their leader Grand poobah or something like that .....

[spdirty]

Originally Posted by Crushaholic

We need to look at government waste before we look anywhere else for money. We DEFINITELY need regular inspections of one of our most infamous and trusted hospitals in the country. The wounded vets deserve it...

Exactly, and to add to that, can anybody tell me what the budget is this year? Anybody? Anybody out there

Oh yeah, its 2.9 TRILLION!!!! Wait a minute, it looks like this.

2,900,000,000,000.

It isn't like the gov't doesn't have the money, its all about where they spend it. Take some away from Matt Lesko's clients and put it into the hosopitals.

Anyway, good for Rawstory and everyone else in the media to bring this story to light. Hopefully the gov't gets off their ass and fixes this.

[cutthemdown]

	Enlarge	By Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images
Don Vandrey, public affairs officer at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, shows members of the media a room under repair at the center Thursday. Military officials gave tours of Building 18 to address stories in The Washington Post about the poor living conditions for some outpatient soldiers living in the building.

Enlarge Repairs are being made in a Building 18 room of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center complex.

By William H. McMichael, Army Times
WASHINGTON — The moldy walls and leaking ceilings in Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Building 18 are being repaired and officials say the tangled evaluation process that determines whether troops who've suffered war wounds can return to duty will be streamlined.
But the reassuring words from Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley, the Army surgeon general, didn't do much to lessen the Army's initial embarrassment over published reports about recovering vets who live in substandard conditions and face long delays dealing with pay, benefits and evaluations.
Kiley on Thursday called the reports in The Washington Post over the weekend "one-sided" but acknowledged the problems emphatically underlined earlier in the week by Gen. Richard Cody, the Army's chief of staff.
"Clearly, we've had a breakdown in leadership, and the bureaucratic, medical and professional processes bogged down a speedy solution to these problems," Cody said.
The reports in the Post and the Military Times papers also caught the eye of lawmakers on Capitol Hill with Democratic Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois, Claire McCaskill of Missouri and John Kerry of Massachusetts calling for legislation to improve the situation at Walter Reed.
The Pentagon announced Feb. 20 it would form an independent review group to look at outpatient care and administrative processes at both Walter Reed and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. The Army and Navy have begun separate probes.
No major problems have been identified at the Navy hospital; officials said the probe is largely precautionary. Nor have any concerns been raised about the quality of medical care.
Spc. Nick Helffarich, 22, is intimately familiar with the concerns at Walter Reed, where some 650 wounded vets are recuperating.
A March 7 explosion in Mosul, Iraq, left Helffarich with a lacerated liver; a broken pelvis, vertebrae and wrist; and lung and ear damage. He's been at Walter Reed for nearly a year.
For months, he lived where most recovering vets live at Walter Reed: in the on-campus Mologne House, with its well-appointed lobby and housekeeping service. Both Mologne and Building 18, an overflow facility outside the main campus, were once hotels but clearly from different sides of the tracks.
When Helffarich moved to Building 18 two months ago, he found himself in a room with a broken shower, no trashcan and cockroaches.
He is just a few weeks into his medical review board process, but already is having a hard time meeting with his counselor. "I'd go in for my scheduled appointment, and she's not even there," Helffarich said.
Kiley said the Army has already added more counselors and physical disability boards "to help us handle the volume of soldiers that are coming through here." He also said officials are examining whether to add more case managers.
"We are committed to working within this organization, with the rest of the Army, DoD and the Congress, if we need their help, to further improve this process of healing and, where needed, medically retiring soldiers," Kiley said.
Kiley said he does not consider Building 18 to be "substandard" but acknowledged it needed work. He said the hospital now has a contracted maintenance service for the facility. Within 60 days, the Army Medical Command will have a plan to perform a major renovation on the building, which will require all 66 troops now staying there to be moved out, he said.
Cody said the problems were not due to a lack of resources. He said no one has been relieved of command over the problems.
"We will do the right thing across the board as we continue to assess where the leadership failure and breakdowns were," he said. "I will not be satisfied until we have a family assistance center at Walter Reed where it's one stop, it has an 'easy button', and families and the soldiers all can take care of their financial issues, their scheduling issues, their follow-up care issues."






Looks like some progress being made. Good by the reporters who called this stuff.

[Spider]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

Looks like some progress being made. Good by the reporters who called this stuff.

and in good time ..no excuse under the sun why our Vets were being treated like this ................I was outraged ......

[loborugger]

Originally Posted by §Pide®

I never thought the Vets were treated this bad

Ever been to a VA Hospital? How about a BIA hospital?

I would avoid a gov't medical facility like the plague. No doubt, this stuff at Walter Reed is egregious. And its a PR nightmare for the Army so it will get fixed. And of course the Bush haters will blame it on Bush. And thats fine.

But I dont see it that way. It think this would have happened no matter who was in office. And it woulda happened whether we were at war or peace. In fact the reason it blew up so badly is because we are at war. This woulda been a no news, 5th page of the Wash Post story if we werent at war.

The real problem is this... In a radio interview here in DC, the Commanding General admitted that even though he LIVES ACROSS THE STREET from bldg 18, he had never been in it.

Bet you dimes to donuts, that the mansion like estate he lives in - provided by the fine tax paying citizens of the US of A - is up to snuff. I bet he doesnt have a leaking roof, etc, etc. And if it developed one, he would have maintenance over there ASAP to fix it. No one would have to fill out paper work, wait til the following Tues when maintenance could fit it in on the schedule, etc.

This is a problem that the people there - and it starts at the top - dont care enough to make it correct. Its a case of while they have top Army surgical staffs there, the people who do the maintenance, etc, are (I bet) gov't employees. And while a senior officer can get maintenance moving efficiently and effectively for a short period of time (ie, the amount of time it takes to fix his roof, repair his wall, etc), a wounded private can not. And if a gov't employee doesnt do his/her job, whats the recourse?

You wanna fix this problem - and the follow on problems will develop in the coming months? Fix the way the Govt hires and fires people. Period.

[Spider]

Originally Posted by loborugger

Ever been to a VA Hospital? How about a BIA hospital?

I took old man Francis to the one in Sheridan wy , itwas ok . Clean , well staffed , maybe it is an exception ...... I dont take my Dad to a VA .......

I would avoid a gov't medical facility like the plague. No doubt, this stuff at Walter Reed is egregious. And its a PR nightmare for the Army so it will get fixed. And of course the Bush haters will blame it on Bush. And thats fine.

Funny thing about being in Charge .........

But I dont see it that way. It think this would have happened no matter who was in office. And it woulda happened whether we were at war or peace. In fact the reason it blew up so badly is because we are at war. This woulda been a no news, 5th page of the Wash Post story if we werent at war.

But it didnt happen to anyone in Office , it happened on Bush's watch

The real problem is this... In a radio interview here in DC, the Commanding General admitted that even though he LIVES ACROSS THE STREET from bldg 18, he had never been in it.

Meanwhile he lives in a Mansion ........

Bet you dimes to donuts, that the mansion like estate he lives in - provided by the fine tax paying citizens of the US of A - is up to snuff. I bet he doesnt have a leaking roof, etc, etc. And if it developed one, he would have maintenance over there ASAP to fix it. No one would have to fill out paper work, wait til the following Tues when maintenance could fit it in on the schedule, etc.

No bet

This is a problem that the people there - and it starts at the top - dont care enough to make it correct. Its a case of while they have top Army surgical staffs there, the people who do the maintenance, etc, are (I bet) gov't employees. And while a senior officer can get maintenance moving efficiently and effectively for a short period of time (ie, the amount of time it takes to fix his roof, repair his wall, etc), a wounded private can not. And if a gov't employee doesnt do his/her job, whats the recourse?

agreed

You wanna fix this problem - and the follow on problems will develop in the coming months? Fix the way the Govt hires and fires people. Period.

either that or sick the Media on them .........