In today's podcast, I interview Suzanne Gordon, the co-founder of the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute. Her latest study challenges the stealth privatization of the Veterans Health Administration.
Suzanne needs to probe, discover and report on the root cause(s) of why this has occurred, and bring the VHA-itself to account.
I can personally attest that
1)Physicians who actually cared about VA welfare, and physician-scientists who were recruited to the VA to make impactful change in VA and American Healthcare (because the VA had a long history of enabling that) were systematically denigrated and pushed out of the VA beginning in the 2000-2010 decade.
2)Whistleblowers (including myself) who brought up corruption within the administrative (executive) ranks, whereby tens of millions of dollars were withheld and disbursed amongst a controlling oligarchy for use of VA facilities in Los Angeles were fired without due process.
3)VA policies (funding of priorities) and even evaluation of "what's best for the Veteran" have shifted with each Director, to the point that the VA dismantled an innovative program for diagnostics and treatments of lung cancers, that was developed by physician-scientist (me) between 2005-2009, and which the VA itself had vetted and valued at $20 billion/year of annual healthcare disruption towards saving healthcare costs and societal impact, was destroyed by the VHA under David Shulkin.
Great work on this, Suzanne. There is so much disinformation out there, but the data tell a very clear story. Grateful to you for bringing these facts to light!
This podcast touched on several important topics that reflect not only on the VA system but on health care models and their funding, as well as the alignment of values in a mission-oriented system. They point out many of the ills in the fragmented and distorted healthcare landscape in the USA today, and suggest alternative models based on patient-oriented priorities, physician skills tailored to their patient populations, and financing.
While there is much activity around value-based care, when it comes to organizing and execution, many of the flaws of the current prevailing health care models trip up real progress and fail to get to more systemic ways of delivering on the promises. In contrast, the more elegant VA health system is simpler and more cost effective. Instead of dismantling it through a thousand cuts and starvation, we should be looking at it and its broader applicability.
The use of community physicians should be more like the Kaiser model where referrals to private physicians are made because of resource requirements, not as a first impulse to reduce staff within the "mother ship" Permanente Medical Group itself.
The block funding and salaried provider model, along with the owned and operated hospitals, can out-perform any other model out there. Why not consider this for broader application? Besides our veterans are owed the best given their sacrifices and dedication to a grateful nation.
this is an important message about maintaining best care anywhere
Suzanne needs to probe, discover and report on the root cause(s) of why this has occurred, and bring the VHA-itself to account.
I can personally attest that
1)Physicians who actually cared about VA welfare, and physician-scientists who were recruited to the VA to make impactful change in VA and American Healthcare (because the VA had a long history of enabling that) were systematically denigrated and pushed out of the VA beginning in the 2000-2010 decade.
2)Whistleblowers (including myself) who brought up corruption within the administrative (executive) ranks, whereby tens of millions of dollars were withheld and disbursed amongst a controlling oligarchy for use of VA facilities in Los Angeles were fired without due process.
3)VA policies (funding of priorities) and even evaluation of "what's best for the Veteran" have shifted with each Director, to the point that the VA dismantled an innovative program for diagnostics and treatments of lung cancers, that was developed by physician-scientist (me) between 2005-2009, and which the VA itself had vetted and valued at $20 billion/year of annual healthcare disruption towards saving healthcare costs and societal impact, was destroyed by the VHA under David Shulkin.
Excellent info re vets and the VA. Thank you.
Great work on this, Suzanne. There is so much disinformation out there, but the data tell a very clear story. Grateful to you for bringing these facts to light!
This podcast touched on several important topics that reflect not only on the VA system but on health care models and their funding, as well as the alignment of values in a mission-oriented system. They point out many of the ills in the fragmented and distorted healthcare landscape in the USA today, and suggest alternative models based on patient-oriented priorities, physician skills tailored to their patient populations, and financing.
While there is much activity around value-based care, when it comes to organizing and execution, many of the flaws of the current prevailing health care models trip up real progress and fail to get to more systemic ways of delivering on the promises. In contrast, the more elegant VA health system is simpler and more cost effective. Instead of dismantling it through a thousand cuts and starvation, we should be looking at it and its broader applicability.
The use of community physicians should be more like the Kaiser model where referrals to private physicians are made because of resource requirements, not as a first impulse to reduce staff within the "mother ship" Permanente Medical Group itself.
The block funding and salaried provider model, along with the owned and operated hospitals, can out-perform any other model out there. Why not consider this for broader application? Besides our veterans are owed the best given their sacrifices and dedication to a grateful nation.
The key downside is the formulary and PBM.
The VA lags by about 1 full generation (20 years)….