Pilot program for veterans makes sense
Phoenix plan could alleviate wait times for veterans in need of care
The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced a new pilot program that should help veterans get care in a more timely fashion.
Nurses at the Phoenix VA staffing the medical center’s help line will be able to refer veterans to CVS MinuteClinics when appropriate, according to the Associated Press. The story notes that the care will be paid for by the government.
AP also reports that currently, veterans must wait for 30 days for an appointment or drive more than 40 miles to a facility to be able to use an outside care facility. In the Phoenix pilot program, however, the help line nurses can send patients to the MinuteClinics when “clinically appropriate,” which should speed up their wait times significantly.
The Phoenix VA facility has been plagued by complaints of long wait times, and still, AP reports that only 61 percent of veterans who needed an appointment for urgent primary care got one at the Phoenix facility.
Allowing a private entity like CVS to meet some of that need in Phoenix is long overdue.
According to the CVS MinuteClinic website, practioners in office can treat and diagnose common illnesses such as strep throat, bladder infections and pink eye, and treat minor injuries and skin conditions ranging from ringworm to acne. The clinics can also provide wellness services, lab tests and vaccinations.
Sen. John McCain raised an interesting point, telling AP, “Veterans in need of routine health care services should not have to wait in line for weeks to get an appointment when they can visit community health centers like MinuteClinic to receive timely and convenient care.”
He’s right. A community health center can meet a host of health care needs for our veterans, and alleviate some of the wait issues veterans have experienced. And, allowing a private clinic to meet those health needs could in theory open up more time for the Phoenix VA facility to treat bigger health concerns, benefiting everyone.
We’re glad to see the VA is taking steps to better meet veterans’ needs in Phoenix. And if this pilot program is successful, the VA should expand it to other private health care centers as well, and give our veterans better access to the care they deserve.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS OR NOT?
Just how big do these potholes in north and south Frontage Road have to get before somebody who is on our tax dollars’ dime comes out to repair them? Somebody shows up about twice a year and then only fills half of them. Help!
My passenger flight experience started in 1957. The stewardesses and the flight crew were always so nice. “Could I get you a pillow or blanket?” And after the flight leveled off it would be, “Are you comfortable?” Well folks, that’s not what it is today. Somewhere along in the 1970s those stewardesses and stewards started wearing jackboots and could have cared less whether you were there or not. In the late 70s the first-class sections started to disappear. People with titles were forced to sit among the great unwashed. They didn’t like it and made sure everyone noticed it. Sooner or later these two cultures had to clash.
What can our society do to remedy these cultural collisions that are going on in our country today? One of the problems we have in air travel today is there are too many people vying for too few seats. The airlines could raise the airfare 33 percent. The rise in airfare by 33 percent would cause a 10 percent vacancy, or more, on all commercial aircraft. This 10 percent vacancy would force airline officials to demand their stewardesses and stewards show a kinder side.
If you believe you are a special person like a doctor or a lawyer or general or leader of some religious sect that shouldn’t have to travel under the same rules as the rest of Americans, go private jet. However, if you are flying with the rest of America, don’t expect any special privileges.
If you are not sure whether or not you can abide by the rules set down by the airlines, you have an alternative. Travel Greyhound or Amtrak and see how that goes for you. On April 15, I participated in the Yuma Tax March demanding President Trump release his tax returns, among other issues. The participants were primarily, if not totally, liberal leaning citizens much like myself. It occurred to me as I drove home that this should not be a partisan issue.
Why aren’t all Americans, regardless of their political affiliations or beliefs, demanding full disclosure from our chief executive? His tax returns should reveal much more than whether he is as rich as he claims and whether he has paid his fair share of taxes. Shouldn’t we know who he does business with and to whom he owes money? Wouldn’t it be helpful to know the extent of his dealings with foreign governments? Shouldn’t we all be concerned that he has not divested his business interests and may indeed be personally profiting due to the office he holds? These are issues that should concern us all. It should have nothing to do with whether we are Republicans, Democrats or Independents. As Americans we should all be asking these questions. Regardless of how we voted, Mr. Trump works for us, and we have a right to know.