VA Sec: Disney doesn’t measure wait times, so why should we?

Posted by | May 23, 2016 19:05 | Filed under: News Behaving Badly Politics

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Speaking to the Christian Science Monitor, Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald compared wait times at VA hospitals to wait times at Disney.

At a Monitor-hosted breakfast with reporters in the lead up to Memorial Day, the secretary was questioned about why the VA does not publicly report when veterans first ask for an appointment, known as the “create date.” The information can be used to calculate how long vets had to wait for an appointment.

“The days to an appointment is really not what we should be measuring. What we should be measuring is the veteran’s satisfaction,” McDonald said. “What really counts is how does the veteran feel about their encounter with the VA? When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? What is important is, what is your satisfaction with the experience.”

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37 responses to VA Sec: Disney doesn’t measure wait times, so why should we?

  1. whatthe46 May 23rd, 2016 at 19:23

    and this asshat is serious.

    • arc99 May 23rd, 2016 at 19:45

      There is definitely asshattery here. If you dig down deep enough, there is an element of truth to what he is saying. Waiting a month for a referral to a dermatologist is quite a different thing from waiting for a month for a referral to a cardiac surgeon where we are talking about the difference between itching and dying.

      I would like to give him the benefit of the doubt. But yes, a senior official who cannot express himself more clearly is definitely venturing into asshat territory.

      • Buford2k11 May 23rd, 2016 at 19:58

        yeah…good call…

      • clemans May 24th, 2016 at 06:48

        well, the sooner one gets treatment for skin cancer I would think the better it would be. Also, many of the people getting care at the VA are elderly, disabled, in walkers, or wheelchairs, or artificial limbs. Some have PTSD and the entire effort to get there is a great strain to begin with.

        I see more young guys from Iraq now too. That is very sad what the GOP and ignorance did to these brave young ones……America doesn’t value its young very much.

        • The Original Just Me May 24th, 2016 at 08:50

          America doesn’t value it’s young very much. Unless. they are in a short, tight skirt. Good Morning Clems, How;s your day going so far. :+)

          • clemans May 24th, 2016 at 09:12

            so far so good, waiting for the contractors to come in and give estimates on the cost to replace roof, gutters, covers, siding, and window frames from that storm…..while watching more storms develop. The joys of climate change and golf ball sized hail and bigger

        • Jodie May 24th, 2016 at 09:43

          Considering how fast the GOP is to talk about going to war, no…They don’t value the lives of the men and women who are involved in said war.

          • clemans May 24th, 2016 at 10:20

            I agree with you there, but seriously, I see little reason to believe that Americans as a whole care much more than conservatives do. And I am starting to fear that democrats care about things at least in part to be opposite of the republicans just to be opposite and not on merit.

            If you want to know where American values lie, look at the national budget and see where the money is spent. That tells you what we really value……looks like welfare for defense contractors is it.

            • Jodie May 24th, 2016 at 10:32

              If what I just saw is correct, 54% of our FY16 budget is spent on military. 54%!!! That is just plain stupid, if you ask me. We spend hundreds of billions of dollars more than other countries do. Unless you get promoted pretty high up, the pay isn’t great at all for military personnel. It’s obviously not going to the VA. It seems like I’ve seen more than once where TONS of money is spent on prototypes or something of some special aircraft or tank that they know is either too expensive to put to widespread use or is just plain impractical.

              • clemans May 24th, 2016 at 15:03

                Jodie, it is worse than that unless they changed things under Obama. The costs for any current wars are not included in that 54%. The cost to house, maintain, and develop nuclear weapons is not added. The VA is separate and MAYBE the military pay too.

                All of that should be added to the defense spending. But that would bring the 54% up so high that many people would be forced to notice.

                I believe Obama added up some of the costs for the wars in the Middle East and conservatives use that to say Obama was increasing the deficit…..the money had been spent, stolen, or used for bribes and was gone, but the pubic never had a clue about it.

                • Jodie May 24th, 2016 at 15:08

                  Sounds like practically nothing is included in that 54%. No wonder we’re in such a deficit. But if you try to decrease military funding, people will only think that vets and active duty will suffer. I don’t think their pay or benefits should be reduced at all, but there’s got to be ways to cut expenses in the military budget. That’s just ridiculous.

                  • clemans May 24th, 2016 at 15:37

                    I don’t now if it is still going on, but at one time, we were paying for planes to be built, and they went from the factory to the plane graveyard…..in maybe Arizona or New Mexico. But in many cases, tax payers are paying for equipment the Pentagon has said we do not need.

                    It creates jobs in states where congress wants to be elected again….I believe both sides are guilty of that.

                    All we need to do is demand that we have open bids for all contracts, penalties for being over budget, and to refuse to order supplies we don’t need for a start. And then go from there to cut waste

                    In many areas, military personnel qualify for food stamps because the pay is so bad. And reduced lunches for their kids.

                  • clemans May 24th, 2016 at 15:41

                    thanks for putting up a president’s budget proposal. I can understand pie charts

                  • clemans May 24th, 2016 at 15:42

                    see what I mean about the nation not caring about kids? We have 9 million children homeless in America

                    15 million who don’t have adequate food supplies for the entire week.

                    Still many with no health care.

                    America doesn’t value the lives of our children very high on the scale.

                    • Jodie May 24th, 2016 at 15:44

                      Well, I personally do. Even if I have to pay a slightly higher tax, I’d rather do that than have people starving.

                    • clemans May 24th, 2016 at 19:02

                      personally, I agree with you, however, from looking at what we spend on war, I would say that we could cut that spending by half and use some of that to take care of our children, and still cut our taxes.

                    • Jodie May 25th, 2016 at 08:38

                      I agree with this, too, but I doubt that spending would be decreased.

                    • clemans May 25th, 2016 at 09:18

                      it would be if enough people who think like us would get off their asses and do something about it. If we put children first, we could do a lot of things to benefit the nation.

              • clemans May 24th, 2016 at 15:05

                we spend more than the next 9-15 nations do on defense spending….based on what we admit to spending…..most of those nations are our allies.

    • The Original Just Me May 24th, 2016 at 08:52

      Well, I’ve been called worse than that and I’m never serious. Good Morning to You. :+)

  2. Warman1138 May 23rd, 2016 at 19:41

    He’d sing a different tune if it was his but in the queue.

  3. labman57 May 23rd, 2016 at 20:32

    Well at least he’s acknowledging that our nation’s VA health services are a Mickey Mouse operation.

    • whatthe46 May 23rd, 2016 at 20:45

      sounds exactly like what he’s saying. the one thing i’d have to argue with him on is, there have been a many of times where i’ve stood in line for too darn long, only to find that the wait was no where near the satisfaction i was expecting.

      • fahvel May 24th, 2016 at 03:59

        I’ve always believed and practiced the idea that there is nothing in life really waiting in line for.

        • clemans May 24th, 2016 at 09:11

          I have waited in line to see Santana perform, and would do the same to see Eddie Izzard who has a tour in the US this year…..

    • clemans May 24th, 2016 at 06:44

      in my region, the VA is great. There are a lot of people getting service there but the facilities have been remodeled, there are plenty of waiting rooms, and the doctors seem to be doing a good job. My husband’s doctor knew his name and even stopped to talk to him in the hallway when he was there to see a different doctor. He also can call the doctor is he needs to. He is getting better care than I am with my private doctor.

      I collect magazines from friends and save my own and take them to the VA plus volunteer there. Some nice lady comes around and offers people waiting some of the little oranges and/or cookies. This facility used to be a dump in the 70’s.

      When a president sends troops into war, they ought to also have to increase VA spending from the beginning. Care shouldn’t be given based on the budget, the injuries didn’t get prevented because there wasn’t enough money in the budget. With VA health care, you pay until the job is done……

  4. fahvel May 24th, 2016 at 03:58

    fire the basterd and give your veterans the finest possible services and benefits possible. It’s simple, treat the honorable honorably.

  5. bpollen May 24th, 2016 at 04:37

    I was in Disneyworld about a month ago. They very specifically measure wait times, and most rides have clocks showing estimated wait times. They update projected wait times on the freakin’ internet, for f*ck’s sake. When you speak in public, it usually helps your credibility if you have some clue what you are talking about.

    • clemans May 24th, 2016 at 06:34

      our local VA is pretty good about wait times, but when I was in nursing school there it was awful. I am glad to see it has improved.

      One of the problems is that some people have so many things wrong with them and as they age, going is just too much of an effort. So they put off going for smaller things, and then they get worse. When they get there to see the doctor, they are often in bad shape and need other tests right away so doctors send them to XRAY or other departments to be fit in and it adds to the delays.

      I wish I could take that man to the VA and have him go to the worst site, and wait……make him carry weights with him so he is good and tired…..and sit in the same chair for hours on ends, sometimes with no one to talk to, no food, and ld magazines…..with aches and pains. Let him do that for a few days in a row and maybe he will see the difference between waiting at Disneyland while well and waiting at the VA while sick.

  6. Red Eye Robot May 24th, 2016 at 05:53

    Priorities: GITMO prisoners dont have Wait times for medical care, The people who captured them, they can wait.

  7. The Original Just Me May 24th, 2016 at 08:59

    Sounds like it is time for a change of Sec. I have been to Disneyland. Those people are Masters at keeping the lines moving.

  8. Jodie May 24th, 2016 at 09:39

    As the Veterans Affairs Secretary, you think he’d have not only compassion, but STRIVE to give our vets the best treatment that the VA can give them.

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