Smoke and Mirrors
First District Congressman John Sullivan dropped by the VA Medical Center in Muskogee Monday for a look-see and a bit of glad handing, even though the facility is within the district of Congressman Dan Boren. With 64,000 vets residing in the First District evidently Congressman Sullivan felt a desire to see what is going on. Too bad he did not see it all.
Sullivan got the VIP tour of the facility, seeing everything that the hospital’s administration wanted him to see, such as the new rehab center, some new medical technology and smiling faces on a few patients and hospital staffers.
What Rep. Sullivan did not see, because he either did not have the time or desire to see, was the the emergency room. The emergency room which has been the source of dozens of complaints to Tulsa television station KOTV which did a report on the facility and the problems some veterans have experienced there.
Of his limited tour of the facility, Rep. Sullivan said, “We want to make sure they’re getting the proper care that they deserve through the Veterans Administration Hospital, and I think they are here. This is a great facility.”
Rep. Sullivan went on to say that, “Well I have heard people complain about this facility and health care at other veterans places, but you know that’s going to happen. We’ve heard a lot about Walter Reed and the things that have gone on over there, but here at this facility, the complaints are only like 4.4% per thousand patients, much lower than the national average”
Sullivan also indicated that he wishes to be the advocate for any veteran that has a complaint about health care.
Rep. Sullivan’s concerns and desire to be an advocate for veterans would have seemed a lot more sincere had he actually taken a look at that portion of the Muskogee VA Medical Center which is generating the greatest complaints and done so on an unannounced inspection tour.
What we saw yesterday was nothing more than smoke and mirrors intended to diffuse a growing scandal regarding the health care, or more accurately lack thereof, provided to our nation’s veterans.
With ‘friends’ like Rep. Sullivan, Oklahoma’s veterans do not need any enemies…
