Seth Moulton and the VA again
Last week I praised Congressman Seth Moulton for working to reform the VA based on his experience as a patient. I thought he did a reasonable job at looking for opportunities for improvement rather than bashing the organization and its employees. I also pointed out that while there are problems with the VA there's no guarantee things are better in the private sector.At least based on the letters the Globe published in response to the original article, others didn't see things the same way.
- Dr. Henry Feldman who works mainly at the BI but also at the VA makes my point by stating that things would be as bad or worse at a "prestigious medical center" if a patient walked in with no medical records or insurance cards
- William O'Brien, a retired VA mental health chief, blames Congress for increasing the VA's workload through two wars without providing additional funds to take care of everyone.
As I reread the article I can understand where the letter writers are coming from, but I still give Moulton the benefit of the doubt. If anything responsibility for the tone of the overall article should be placed on the reporter and editor. While Feldman and O'Brien make good points, there are plenty of opportunities for the VA to improve and I'm glad Moulton is trying to help make it happen.—By healthcare business consultant David E. Williams, president of Health Business Group.