thedrifter
03-13-07, 05:33 AM
VA chief drops by McGuire
Nicholson praises hospital, vows to build rehab center
BY TAMMIE SMITH
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson made a surprise visit to McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center yesterday, the first planned to assess care provided to combat-wounded service members.
Nicholson visited the Richmond center's 12-bed polytrauma unit, one of four such units set up at veterans hospitals across the country to treat patients with multiple, complex traumatic injuries.
"I had a very good discussion about what we are doing, how we are doing it and what else, if anything, that we should be doing because of the priority of care that we have for these young returnees from the war, who are suffering multiple injuries, including traumatic brain injury," said Nicholson, who talked by cell phone on his way back to Washington. He last visited McGuire in August.
A series of stories in the Washington Post recently revealed serious problems in the care provided to some returning service members treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.
The revelations have prompted top officials to resign and congressional scrutiny of the care being provided at hospitals and other health-care facilities operated by the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments.
McGuire, located on a 131-acre campus off Broad Rock Boulevard in South Richmond, is a 474-bed hospital and offers general and specialty services. About 40,000 people are treated there annually.
Over the next six months to two years, McGuire expects to roll out several new projects, including a free-standing comprehensive transitional rehabilitation center for service members who need a relatively intense level of services but don't need to be kept as inpatients.
The facility would accommodate about 16 patients in a campuslike setting with access to such services as physical therapy and occupational rehabilitation.
"We are going to move out on the construction of that soon," said Nicholson, Veterans Affairs secretary since February 2005. He said his agency is moving forward with plans to hire 100 new patient advocates to help returning service members get medical care and other services.
He also defended his $87 billion budget request for the Veterans Affairs system for fiscal year 2008.
Some veterans organizations have said the request isn't enough in light of the numbers of wounded returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and the complexity of their injuries.
The Associated Press reported yesterday that Nicholson has asked the 1,400 hospitals and clinics in the Veterans Affairs health system to report on the quality of their facilities.
Michael B. Phaup, director at McGuire, said staff members are preparing a report.
"We are about 1.5 million square feet under one roof," Phaup said. "We are in the process of upgrading and renovating and remodeling and painting, and doing those things virtually every day."
Nicholson said he was impressed with the facility.
"We have some very serious cases of young soldiers and Marines who are very seriously injured, and they are getting the best care in the world," he said.
"Some of them are making just miraculous progress. I met one soldier who came in there a little over a month ago semiconscious and who could barely move. He was standing up, shook hands with me and carried on a light conversation," Nicholson said.
He also talked with McGuire officials about the transition of service members from the polytrauma unit to the care at a veterans facility closer to their homes.
"Many of them . . . they will be in our care, really, probably for the rest of their lives. I want that to be as careful and as connected and as hassle-free as possible, and as effective as possible."
Dale Chapman, state adjutant for the American Legion, said volunteers are at McGuire every day.
"If something glaring was wrong, they would be the first to let us know," Chapman said. "I have not had anything you would call major."
The biggest problem they run into, he said, is getting folks into the system.
Contact staff writer Tammie Smith at TLsmith@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6572.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ellie
Nicholson praises hospital, vows to build rehab center
BY TAMMIE SMITH
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson made a surprise visit to McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center yesterday, the first planned to assess care provided to combat-wounded service members.
Nicholson visited the Richmond center's 12-bed polytrauma unit, one of four such units set up at veterans hospitals across the country to treat patients with multiple, complex traumatic injuries.
"I had a very good discussion about what we are doing, how we are doing it and what else, if anything, that we should be doing because of the priority of care that we have for these young returnees from the war, who are suffering multiple injuries, including traumatic brain injury," said Nicholson, who talked by cell phone on his way back to Washington. He last visited McGuire in August.
A series of stories in the Washington Post recently revealed serious problems in the care provided to some returning service members treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.
The revelations have prompted top officials to resign and congressional scrutiny of the care being provided at hospitals and other health-care facilities operated by the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments.
McGuire, located on a 131-acre campus off Broad Rock Boulevard in South Richmond, is a 474-bed hospital and offers general and specialty services. About 40,000 people are treated there annually.
Over the next six months to two years, McGuire expects to roll out several new projects, including a free-standing comprehensive transitional rehabilitation center for service members who need a relatively intense level of services but don't need to be kept as inpatients.
The facility would accommodate about 16 patients in a campuslike setting with access to such services as physical therapy and occupational rehabilitation.
"We are going to move out on the construction of that soon," said Nicholson, Veterans Affairs secretary since February 2005. He said his agency is moving forward with plans to hire 100 new patient advocates to help returning service members get medical care and other services.
He also defended his $87 billion budget request for the Veterans Affairs system for fiscal year 2008.
Some veterans organizations have said the request isn't enough in light of the numbers of wounded returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and the complexity of their injuries.
The Associated Press reported yesterday that Nicholson has asked the 1,400 hospitals and clinics in the Veterans Affairs health system to report on the quality of their facilities.
Michael B. Phaup, director at McGuire, said staff members are preparing a report.
"We are about 1.5 million square feet under one roof," Phaup said. "We are in the process of upgrading and renovating and remodeling and painting, and doing those things virtually every day."
Nicholson said he was impressed with the facility.
"We have some very serious cases of young soldiers and Marines who are very seriously injured, and they are getting the best care in the world," he said.
"Some of them are making just miraculous progress. I met one soldier who came in there a little over a month ago semiconscious and who could barely move. He was standing up, shook hands with me and carried on a light conversation," Nicholson said.
He also talked with McGuire officials about the transition of service members from the polytrauma unit to the care at a veterans facility closer to their homes.
"Many of them . . . they will be in our care, really, probably for the rest of their lives. I want that to be as careful and as connected and as hassle-free as possible, and as effective as possible."
Dale Chapman, state adjutant for the American Legion, said volunteers are at McGuire every day.
"If something glaring was wrong, they would be the first to let us know," Chapman said. "I have not had anything you would call major."
The biggest problem they run into, he said, is getting folks into the system.
Contact staff writer Tammie Smith at TLsmith@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6572.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ellie