President Bush’s request for an investigation into the medical care available to returning veterans earlier this month won’t affect local facilities, officials said.
The announcement of the investigation came a day after Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman, a two-star general in charge of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., was fired over poor conditions at the Army’s largest healthcare facility. The Washington Post revealed that soldiers experienced long waits for treatment and lived in dilapidated quarters at Walter Reed.
Bush wants to examine government health care facilities for wounded servicemen and women nationwide and examine their treatment from the time they leave the battlefield to the time they return to civilian life. The Defense Secretary will choose various Department of Defense hospitals throughout the country to inspect.
Oregon isn’t home to any Department of Defense hospitals, but the state does have various facilities to care for veterans.
The Northwest’s primary Department of Defense hospital, Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash., likely won’t be impacted, said Jeremy O’Bryan, spokesman for Madigan.
“The situation at Walter Reed is specific to Walter Reed because of the types of conditions they see there,” he said. “Every facility has its own set of circumstances.”
He said that Madigan sees less extreme patient cases compared with Walter Reed. Walter Reed is one of the best-known and busiest facilities for soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.
University junior Shane Addis, an Iraq War veteran with the United States Marine Corps Reserves, said he hasn’t used a veterans’ hospital, but he said he knew someone who got hit by a homemade bomb in Iraq.
“It shattered his jaw, and he lost his eye,” Addis said. “He’s recovering now, though.”
Addis said some wounded soldiers say claiming disability is a lengthy process, and they often have to exaggerate their conditions to receive disability benefits.
Addis was happy to hear about the Walter Reed investigation, and he said he’d like to see higher qualified staff at veterans’ hospitals.
“This needs to be addressed to make them better,” Addis said.
In Oregon, Veterans Affairs provides care for veterans and operates facilities throughout the state, the largest of which is in Portland.
Patricia Forsyth, spokeswoman for the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, said she and other staff at the Portland hospital were shocked by the Walter Reed incident because it’s regarded as “the” Army medical center.
Forsyth explained that the Oregon facilities care for veterans, while the Department of Defense facilities see active duty soldiers. The VA also operates facilities in smaller communities, including Roseburg and Eugene.
Sharon Carlson, spokeswoman for the Roseburg VA, said facilities must undergo inspections from the Joint Commission, which are unannounced. She said the Roseburg centers receive “rave reviews” from inspection teams and patients.
“They continually talk about and praise us for the cleanliness of our facilities,” she said.
The Roseburg VA Health Care System, which includes a Eugene clinic, was awarded a “Gold Seal of Approval” and is in compliance with all standards, according to the Joint Commission’s Web site.
Joseph Reiley, program supervisor for Veterans’ Services of Lane County, said his office, which acts as an advocate for veterans, has not been impacted.
He did say that the incident raised the profile of veterans care.
“I think it’s a positive thing because I think it reminds us of our obligation to care for those who served our country, regardless of how we feel about the war,” Reiley said. “These individuals volunteered to perform the ultimate public service, and we need to care for them.”
Apart from medical care, returning soldiers also need to be re-integrated into society. The Oregon Army National Guard helps find work for returning soldiers.
Sgt. Phillip Mass, who heads the career transition program, said Oregon is the only state with such a program. He said the program helps soldiers write resumes and teaches them interviewing skills.
Mass said the program, which will serve as a model for the rest of the country, was created because soldiers were underemployed and unemployed when they came back to the United States.
“When they say that necessity is a mother of invention, that’s how our program came about,” Mass said.
Contact the crime, health and safety reporter at [email protected]