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Local veterans skeptical, but hopeful, about national plans to reform VA
Jonathan Sabido, a former sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, has been waiting more than three months for an operation on his mouth. It was one of the injuries he sustained in an explosion during one of his four deployments to Iraq.
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Local veterans skeptical, but hopeful, about national plans to reform VA
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald plans a sweeping reorganization of the Veterans Administration, which has been in turmoil after veterans reported waiting months for care, and deaths of veterans which some have blamed on the delays.
McDonald described the overhaul as the largest in the agency's history. He said he would create a new "customer service" organization within the VA to "drive VA culture and practices to understand and respond to the expectations of our Veteran customers."
Among the changes: He plans to hire some 28,000 new medical and mental health professionals, and make the system easier for vets to navigate. He wants to create a new organization within the VA to deliver top-level customer service.
The VA serves about 22 million vets, including a few hanging out Monday at the Veterans Resource Center at Pasadena City College. They were skeptical that the changes would be effective or lasting.
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"Customer service? That's something they don't have," said Mark Castanon, an Army veteran who left the service in 2011 after 15 years.
Ex-Marine Jonathan Sabido and others questioned whether McDonald can deliver the promised changes.
"Customer service is something the VA is not known for," Sabido said. "If they could do that it would be great. It's already tough enough that we walk in there and its stressful to be there because they don't take care of us."
Sabido said he's been waiting months for a surgery to repair wounds to his mouth sustained in an explosion in Iraq.
"The VA is, besides overwhelmed with the amount of veterans coming out, it seems that they don't prioritize the veterans they need to help," Sabido said.
Secretary McDonald plans to add some 28-thousand new medical professionals to reduce wait times and improve care. One of those future workers could be Sabido, who is taking nursing school prerequisite classes at Pasadena City College under the GI Bill.
This piece is part of KPCC's ongoing coverage of issues affecting veterans for Veteran's Day 2014. See more of our coverage at KPCC.org/vets.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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