Major transformation coming to the VA, Tammy Duckworth says

From The Charlston Gazette in W. Virginia:

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs official L. Tammy Duckworth told a Charleston audience on August 10 that the VA is in the process of "a major transformation."

Duckworth spoke during "CARE-NET: Caring Beyond the Yellow Ribbon," a day-long conference for veterans, held at the Blessed John XXIII Pastoral Center.

Duckworth, the VA assistant secretary for public affairs, talked about her personal experiences as an example of why reforms are needed within the VA to make it easier for other caregivers to gain quick access to veterans' medical records.

As a major in the Illinois National Guard, Duckworth co-piloted an Army Blackhawk helicopter on a combat mission north of Baghdad in 2004 when the aircraft was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade.

Injured and bleeding profusely, Duckworth lost both her legs, as well as partial use of her right arm.

Duckworth spent time as a patient at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., before she returned to Illinois.

"When I went to my VA hospital at home, I had to wait three months to see a doctor. Then I only saw a PA [physician's assistant]. They made me take my clothes off to prove I had lost my legs.

"I had medical records from my surgeon ... to prove I was an amputee," Duckworth said.

"As a soldier, I can access my [medical] records on line. Yet that is not transferable to VA. We are going to fix that," Duckworth said. "This is about fixing a broken system."
Duckworth praised Ret. Army Gen. Eric Shinseki, the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs under the Obama administration.

"Gen. Shinseki served two tours in Vietnam and lost part of his foot as a young lieutenant. He is passionate about our troops."

The Rev. Ricardo Flippin, pastor at the New First Baptist Church in Kanawha City, hosted the main program.

Flippin, 68, who served in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years, is an example of problems with the VA.

While in Philadelphia, Flippin was diagnosed with prostate cancer. A physician at the Philadelphia VA Hospital urged him to try pellet implants, which are less traumatic than surgery, chemotherapy or radiation