Montel Williams' solution for VA backlog: Give vets access to active duty hospitals

The calls are mounting for President Barack Obama's veteran affairs secretary to step down.

First, it was just the Republicans. But now, dozens of Democrats are demanding he go.

As of Thursday night, at least 11 Democrats in the Senate and at least 20 in the House say Eric Shinseki must resign.

Are wait times at VA tied to bonuses? Congress wants inquiry

The outrage is growing after an inspector general report pointed to "systemic" problems throughout the VA health care system.

In Phoenix, at least 1,700 veterans waiting to see a doctor were never even put on a waiting list. Some vets died while waiting.

Outfront, longtime talk show host Montel Williams. He spent 22 years serving in the U.S. military before his television career.

Filed under: News • Politics • VA Scandal

soundoff (5 Responses)

James D. Humbert

I worked for the VA, these people are bold, and off the wall when it comes to miss treating junior employee's and Veterans. It's the reason most management have not served, and they try to keep blacks out. It's because they know that blacks are not plugged in, they don't have the connections to pull something like this off, and tend to be against it. Ask anyone employee of color at the VA about racism.

May 31, 2014 at 12:26 am | Reply
H. F. McCray

During the Korean Conflict we were promised free health care for life if we would join the military.
Later, CONGRESS revoked that and now the Korean War Vets have to pay co-pay. If they are in the hospital and are not on disability the first day co-pay is high.

May 30, 2014 at 5:21 pm | Reply
LADYRN

THE VA HOSPITAL ALL OVER THE CIOUNTRY IS HORRIBLE. THEY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH NURSES TODEAL
WITH THE PATIENTS. THERE IS A 6-MONTH WAITING PERIOD TO EVEN GET AN INTERVIEW SO THE PROBLEM WAS NOT SPECIFC TO TH MAN WHO RESIGNED BUT HE IS RESSPONSIBLE FOR THOSE THAT WORK UP UUNDER HIM. THEY NEED TO CLEAN HOUSE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. BECAUSE THIS IS HOW THE VA HOSPITAL WORKS IN ALLLL STATES

May 30, 2014 at 3:14 pm | Reply
Anthony Horan

Good interview. I was a urologist for the V.A. for 15 years. My earlier contribution said (1) that a cause of the problem is the fact that each V.A. Director hires and fires his chief of staff M.D. This is the opposite of Active Duty DOD. There the Intellectual boss is the M.D. and the hotel manager is the lay person. Much better. This way the boss knows the urgency of the waiting list. The second cause is the deadly effect of socialism on productivity. There is no reward for increased productivity only punishment. In surgery, if you do 20% more operations than any other surgeon, you threaten the Directors Bonus. He will cut you down. When I was a general surgeon in Vietnam during the Tet offensive my productivity was noted with approval. I got a second R&R. Of course, life in the armed forces is socialism too but with an adjustment that gets your attention. One of my colleagues did not perform well and he was sent to a remote hospital in the delta that was shelled regularly. So to state it plainly the Director could kill you via re-assignment.

May 30, 2014 at 12:25 am | Reply
jan thompson

we filed for va benefits two years ago, for my brother-in-law . he wants nothing, just his metals replaced. when he was in the va hospital his wife divorced him and threw every thing he owned away. he was in viet nam 36 months . best guy in the world . deserves better

May 29, 2014 at 10:49 pm | Reply