This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Category: Veterans’ Affairs Department

  • VA hires doctors with malpractice claims

    VA hires doctors with malpractice claims

    USAToday tells the story of neurosurgeon John Henry Schneider who lost his license to practice in Wyoming due to a number of malpractice claims which resulted in a number of maimed, paralyzed and dead patients. He also had a license in Montana, so when he applied for a job at the VA, even though he was forthright in the application about his loss of a license in Wyoming, the VA still hired him. USAToday says that’s not an isolated case;

    A VA hospital in Oklahoma knowingly hired a psychiatrist previously sanctioned for sexual misconduct who went on to sleep with a VA patient, according to internal documents. A Louisiana VA clinic hired a psychologist with felony convictions. The VA ended up firing him after they determined he was a “direct threat to others” and the VA’s mission.

    As a result of USA TODAY’s investigation of Schneider, VA officials determined his hiring — and potentially that of an unknown number of other doctors — was illegal.

    When the VA began action to fire Schneider last week, he resigned. I hope any others will follow his example.

    Personally, I’ve never had a problem with doctors or nursing staff at the VA. My problem has always been with administration staff. But, that’s me.

    Thanks to Bobo for the link.

  • Russell M. Ware charged with VA fraud

    The Federal Times reports that Russel M. Ware, an employee of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs has been charged with attempting to divert about $66,000 in disablity benefits to Jacqueline Crawford who wasn’t eligible for VA benefits.

    Between September 2013 and May 2014, Ware allegedly schemed to take almost $21,000 in VA disability benefit money and from October 2014 to February 2015, had directed $46,000 in disability benefits to Jacqueline Crawford, who was not entitled to said funds.

    Through Walmart2Walmart money transfers, Crawford subsequently kicked $13,000 back to Ware, according to authorities. In February 2017, she pleaded guilty to one count of government property theft related to Ware’s plan. Both Crawford and Ware are currently awaiting trial.

    These people work harder at being crooks than they would if they got jobs. Ware got 13 grand – that’s about two month’s pay for the average VA employee.

  • Kenneth John Boyles indicted

    Kenneth John Boyles indicted

    Three years ago, we wrote about Kenneth John Boyles when we caught him trying to convince folks in his hometown that he was a special forces combat veteran who retired from military service as a first sergeant.

    None of that was true;

    Today, we read that he was indicted for healthcare fraud that he committed against the Veterans Health Administration to the tune of $224,000 in benefits. From Connect Bridgeport;

    A Clarksburg, West Virginia, man was indicted by a federal grand jury today on charges of health care fraud, United States Attorney William J. Powell announced.

    Kenneth Boyles, age 52, was indicted on one count of “Health Care Fraud” and one count of “False Statement Related to Health Care Matter.” Boyles is accused of falsely reporting symptoms related to his service in the United States Army Reserves to the Veterans Health Administration in order to fraudulently collect more than $224,000 in benefits. The crime is alleged to have occurred from 2008 to 2017 in Harrison County.

    The VA Office of the Inspector General and the FBI investigated Mr Boyles. From his FOIA, it looks like his only active duty was for training. He served for 24 years in the Reserves and rocketed up to the rank of Specialist (E-4), but he succumbed to the siren song of the leather vest.

  • Clifford Currie, the man who set Army Nurse Katie Blanchard on fire, has been sentenced to 20 years.

    Clifford Currie, the man who set Army Nurse Katie Blanchard on fire, has been sentenced to 20 years.

    In August we reported on the horrific case of Army nurse Katie Blanchard who was attacked by Clifford Currie and set ablaze with gasoline.   This past week the Kansas City Star reports that Currie was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of assault with the intent to kill.

    According to court documents and trial testimony, Blanchard was in her office when Currie doused her with gasoline and ignited it with a match.

    Currie also tried to attack her with a razor and a pair of scissors. He also tried to stomp on her neck before other employees were able to intervene and subdue him.

    Lt. Blanchard had filed numerous reports through her command about her concerns that Currie was dangerous.  It seems that the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) does not have much to say about the incident.  However, it has been widely reported that Audrey Harris,  who was President of the Unions Local 738 at the time,  made statements to several people that Lt. Blanchard got what she deserved.

    From what Google Fu I have conducted, it appears Audrey Harris still is the President of Local 738.  I can’t seem to find anything online about her being disciplined or the AFGE denying that one of their Local Presidents condoned setting an active duty  Army Officer on fire.  Surely, The American Federation of Government Employees must be outraged that something like that was reported about one of their Presidents.  If it is indeed true, maybe they have taken some kind of disciplinary action with Ms Harris that they are keeping very, very quiet.

    I wouldn’t want to upset anyone with the AFL-CIO over a little thing like people being set on fire.  I am sure they have much more important things to worry about.  The AFGE must be too overwhelmed  trying to carry out their mission to respond.

    AFGE takes seriously its responsibility to help provide good government services while ensuring that government workers are treated fairly and with dignity. The union supports a meaningful transformation of the federal workplace to improve the way services and benefits are delivered to the American public.

    Ahh, what the hell…you can read all about the AFGE, AFL-CIO and some other Alphabet Soup organizations missions HERE.  I hope National President J. David Cox  doesn’t get his panties in a bind over any of this.   It might appear to Cox that I am being a Richard but between us Davids…I just don’t give a damn.  Harris might need Cox, but I just don’t swing that way.

    Lt. Blanchard has my utmost respect and best regards.

    Clifford Currie can rot in hell for all I care.

  • Beeker on Bergdahl

    Beeker on Bergdahl

    Brandon Friedman, known around TAH as Beeker, has been trying to besmirch the reputation of Bowe Bergdahl’s platoon mates at least since 2014, when we first noticed him doing that. The Daily Caller noticed that he’s back at it.

    Friedman probably isn’t the best judge of military leadership – he worked for Jon Solz at Move On’s VoteVets, then when VoteVets board member, Tammy Duckworth went to Shinseki’s Department of Veterans’ Affairs, she took Friedman along with a bunch of other VoteVets writers, at the moment that their blog crashed, with a little shove from TAH. Then, as the Shinseki ship crashed on the rocks, Friedman and Duckworth jumped ship ahead of the other rats.

    I guess it’s not hard for Friedman to defend Bergdahl’s walkabout, seein’s how Friedman went on a walkabout to get away from the impending leadership failures at VoteVets and at Shineki’s VA.

  • Matthew Leininger; VA nurse steals drugs

    OC sends a link from KAKE-11 that tells the story of Matthew Leininger, a 42-year-old nurse in the Minneapolis, Minnesota VA medical center who helped himself to their drug supply about 70 times between June and December last year.

    Matthew Leininger used his position as a nurse at the VA to steal fentanyl, morphine and oxycodon….A criminal complaint alleges he accessed the narcotics through a machine called Pyxis that is used to dispense drugs to doctors and nurses so they can administer them to patients.

    Leininger was required to log in with both a user ID and fingerprint….Investigators questioned Leininger on December 28, when he reportedly told them the drugs were stolen to aid his mental health struggles.

    Smart guy. I’d think the machine would have busted him sometime before the 70th time, though.

  • Apostolos Voudouris pleads guilty to ripping off the VA

    Apostolos Voudouris pleads guilty to ripping off the VA

    MCPO Ret. In TN sends us a link to the story of 44-year-old Doctor Apostolos Voudouris who pleaded guilty in New Jersey of billing the Department of Veterans Affairs for $238,000 in medical tests that he never did.

    From MyCentralNewJersey;

    In 2006, he began providing services to eligible veterans at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in East Orange under his contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

    Voudouris admitted that on more than 350 times between 2011 and 2015, he submitted documents to the Veteran Administrations falsely claiming to have performed procedures that he had not. In doing so, he fraudulently received $238,230 from the VA.

    Voudouris faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced Dec.12.

    He faces a jail term of ten years in addition to the $714,690 restitution that he agreed to pay.

  • Merit Systems Protection Board forces VA to rehire Hawkins

    Merit Systems Protection Board forces VA to rehire Hawkins

    BNG sends us a link to Stars & Stripes which reports that the Merit Systems Protection Board has forced the Veterans’ Affairs Department to rehire Brian Hawkins, the disgraced former director of the VA’s DC hospital system that the VA just fired last month.

    Hawkins appealed that he was wrongfully terminated, and MSPB is requiring the VA to keep him as an employee until the Office of Special Counsel reviews his claim.

    The VA said Hawkins is back on the payroll, but at Washington headquarters rather than in a position with access to patients.

    “No judge who has never run a hospital and never cared for our nation’s Veterans will force me to put an employee back in a position when he allowed the facility to pose potential safety risks to our veterans,” VA Secretary David Shulkin said in a written statement. “Protecting our veterans is my most important responsibility.”

    Someone needs to shut down the MSPB.