Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki(Photo: AP)
The widening investigation into treatment delays and coverups at the Department of Veterans Affairs, a scandal that forced the resignation Friday of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, could have ramifications for Southwest Florida and its 250,000-plus veterans.
VA auditors interviewed staff and reviewed patient scheduling at the Cape Coral outpatient center, 2489 Diplomat Parkway E., this month as part of a broader national internal review of department procedures. Similar interviews are now planned for the VA outpatient facility in Naples.
The Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, which oversees Southwest Florida VA health centers, has found no intentionally improper behavior on the part of its employees, said spokesman Jason Dangel.
"At this time, there's no indication our health care system is not doing the right thing," Dangel said. "Will there be opportunities for improvements out of this? I can tell you that will definitely be the case."
That assessment contrasts sharply with the unfolding national scandal over VA practices elsewhere, including allegations of fatal patient delays and efforts by VA staff to falsify wait time records at other VA facilities.
Related: Embattled VA chief Shinseki resigns
Dangel said he could not provide specific wait times for appointments at all Bay Pines facilities but estimated that they likely average about 24 days.
Still, some can take much longer. Bay Pines on Friday contacted hundreds of veterans waiting for dermatology and optometry treatment, most with appointments waits of at least 90 days. About 1,000 such patients in Southwest Florida will have the option to get that care outside of the VA system, on the VA's dime, to expedite the process, Dangel said.
He could not say how many of them live in Lee, Collier or Charlotte counties.
The VA's primary medical facility between Tampa and Miami is its 220,000-square-foot outpatient center in Cape Coral that opened in December 2012. The $53.1 million facility replaced a Fort Myers clinic roughly a third of its size.
It treated 35,000 individual patients and fielded 255,000 appointments last year, according to the VA. Veterans needing inpatient care must use the VA hospital in St. Petersburg.
The News-Press asked readers this month if they had personally experienced any long delays or other trouble at local centers, particularly the Cape Coral clinic. Most responding said they had not.
"I've had nothing but outstanding care," said Mark Lukasik, 56, of Fort Myers. The retired Air Force major said he has never waited more than a few weeks to get in at Cape Coral and did not have trouble getting care during a recent visit to Bay Pines' inpatient VA hospital in St. Petersburg. "They've always been responsive. It's never been second-class care."
Tim Leininger, a Lee County resident and Marine between 2007 and 2011, wrote in an email that he also has not experienced significant waits. But he said he's heard from older veterans about delays getting in at the St. Petersburg hospital.
"I've had to wait a few weeks for an appointment, but it didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary," Leininger said. "I suppose the VA has always had a reputation of moving somewhat slowly, but my experience with them hasn't been stressful."
Bill Laaksonen, a 78-year-old Fort Myers retiree, said he recently had trouble getting prescriptions filled through the VA here. He said he recently tried to get an appointment to see a doctor and get permission for prescription refills, but was told he would have a two-month wait.
Laaksonen said he instead got pain medication through the HealthPark Medical Center emergency department. Another non-VA doctor got him his blood-pressure pills, he said. Troubles aside, he still has a positive view of the VA.
"My experience has been very, very good when it was in Fort Myers, and the two times here (in Cape Coral)," he said.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott said this week he plans to sue the VA in federal court to allow state inspectors to review conditions and procedures at the state's VA facilities. The VA has already blocked seven such attempted state inspections — none in Lee or Collier counties, however.
Spokesman John Tupps said he did not know when the lawsuit would be filed and declined to comment on how the state will argue to the court that it has that kind of authority over a federal department.
Gov. Scott issued a statement Friday that called Shinseki's resignation "a good first step." But he said more transparency in the VA system is needed.
"Over the last several weeks, I have pressed federal VA hospitals to allow access for our state inspectors from the Agency for Health Care Administration to ensure that our nation's veterans were getting the treatment they deserve," Scott said. "Our goal is to improve the quality of care for veterans using these hospitals in Florida."
Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Orlando, called Shinseki "a strong, patriotic general"
"He did the right thing, and he's putting his country first," Nelson said in his own written statement Friday.
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