Me and the Vets Administration

Some of you may be aware of the difficulties veterans are facing with health issues and the VA.  Here's a personal success story.  My friend, Frank, has been trying to get replacement hearing aids for more than 6 months.  Finally, yesterday, his hearing was re-tested and he is scheduled to have aids selected on December 9 with expected fitting date about 4 weeks later.  What is so interesting about all of this is:  His appointment was yesterday, SATURDAY.  His doctor is a woman in private practice from Charlotte who is now working weekends in Asheville at the VA facility in an effort to provide services since they are so backed up.  The huge facility was absolutely empty except for the audiology department.  This department alone served over 10,000 vets last year.  The problem Frank faced was in part due to the necessity of navigating telephone menus.  He can't hear well enough to do that.  After several attempts at helping by his personal physicians (one with the VA and the other in private practice) he finally had an appointment but was told he couldn't be fitted because his ears were not clean enough - even though his personal physician had cleaned them just prior to the appointment.  Was this a stalling mechanism?  Yesterday, when I asked if the cleanliness was an issue, we were told "They are fine."  ……..This is my first personal exposure to problems faced by vets and it has been an eye-opener.  It is truly amazing how we blindly go through our lives unaware of the problems faced by others.  What a joy it has been to play a small part in this escapade! (All I really did was make a few phone calls.)  In the new year of 2015, Frank will hear birds sing again!