the VA needs some adult supervision

[Paul Albertine]

Officials at the VA medical center in Fayetteville, Ark., failed to heed early warnings that chief pathologist Robert Morris Levy was working while intoxicated and then were slow to act, according to internal documents, court filings and interviews with congressional officials, veterans, and current and former VA employees.

Levy, who was indicted last week on three federal counts of involuntary manslaughter, botched the diagnoses of at least 15 patients who later died and 15 others whose health was seriously harmed, officials say. In all, VA officials say Levy made 3,000 errors or misdiagnoses dating to 2005.

[Mike Brinck]

Paul - AMEN to adult supervision.  There was a picture online of a vet wearing some sort of garment that ran from his waist over his face up to the top of his head that was designed to use varying compression to keep body fluids moving through his lymph system.  Can't imagine living with the claustrophobia that must cause.

While I was on the Vets Committee, the Fayetteville VA hospital was a constant problem with quality of care and everything related.  I have some small (maybe very small) sympathy for the pathologist because of his booze disease, I have none for those who were supposed to supervise him and cannot have been unaware of his alcoholism and its possible effect on his work.

Sound like some major lawsuits incoming.

[Paul Albertine]

the Jesse Brown VA location here works well, nice people, get lots of feedback from primary care, etc. etc. it's sad that all the VA facilities aren't up to the task...   we had a shooting at the VA facility a couple weeks back, the Federal Police were right there...guy barley made it into the facility before they brought him down...  Chicago Police secured the outside area...  all worked well,

hope retirement is treating you well...

[Mike Brinck]

Paul - All is well here with the possible exception of my upcoming radiation for prostate cancer. Thank you AO. Fortunately(??) I have the middle (Gleason 7) version so the docs are not too worried.  My radiation doc is "the world's best"  according to people who know so I am confident of a good outcome using the Cyberknife system at Georgetown Hospital in DC.
MB

[Paul Albertine]

your in good hands, 'new' daughter in law did her residency in radiology ...  top notch program for DC punditry...   they just moved back to Chicago last year...   do well 'BB stacker'