Podcasts about va accountability

   Retired Navy Captain Gerard Cox, MD, built a forty-year career out of a four-year commitment. He signed with the Navy's Health Professions Scholarship Program because his parents had already stretched to pay for an expensive undergraduate education, intending to serve his obligation and return to New England as a general internist. Three months into a medicine internship at Bethesda he knew that path was wrong. A flight surgeon tour with Marine squadrons out of Cherry Point gave him time to mature as a physician and to find emergency medicine, then a new and contested specialty. By the eleven-year mark the Navy had him, and he finished at thirty.    What followed is a tour of the places where military medicine meets national consequence. From 1999 to 2001 he served in the White House Medical Unit as a physician to Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, spending most of his first year on the campaign trail with Vice President Al Gore. He explains what protective medical support actually requires: a physician with a black medical bag within seconds of the president at all times, monitoring the same Secret Service frequency, positioned on the far side of the armored limousine. That doctrine was written directly out of the 1981 Hinckley shooting, when the White House physician was left behind at the scene and never got into the car.    A decade later, he was Force Surgeon for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and Fleet Surgeon for the U.S. Fifth Fleet, administratively responsible for Navy medical personnel across Afghanistan, Kuwait, and every ship in the area of responsibility. The lesson he carries from that tour and from Desert Shield and Desert Storm is the same: international agreements and host-nation relationships are what allow the United States to operate medically in that theater at all.    He then spent nearly eleven years in senior Veterans Health Administration leadership, walking into the Office of the Medical Inspector three months after the 2014 access-to-care scandal broke, and later serving as Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Quality and Patient Safety and national co-lead of the VA high reliability organization rollout across more than 170 medical centers. His verdict on the word accountability is blunt. It was redefined to mean punishment, and you cannot fire your way to excellence.    The episode closes on advice a Navy admiral gave him in 1997 and on the fifteen-minute walk he and his wife have taken nearly every evening since, the habit that kept a forty-year career and a marriage intact. Chapters (01:11-08:39) An Accidental Navy Career (08:40-16:41) Inside the White House Medical Unit (16:42-24:26) Fifth Fleet, CENTCOM, and the Move from Clinician to Commander (24:27-37:01) Rebuilding Trust at VA: Accountability and High Reliability (37:02-43:24) Bridging the Military Health System and the VA (43:25-52:54) The Fifteen-Minute Walk: Resilience and Legacy Chapter Summaries (01:11-08:39) An Accidental Navy Career Dr. Cox traces the decision points that turned a four-year scholarship obligation into thirty years of active duty: an HPSP flyer on a Dartmouth bulletin board, an internal medicine internship he abandoned within months, and a flight surgeon tour with Marine squadrons at Cherry Point. That tour let him practice as the sole medical expert for a deployed squadron and pointed him toward the new specialty of emergency medicine. (08:40-16:41) Inside the White House Medical Unit As physician to Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush, Dr. Cox describes protective medical support as a discipline of seconds and positioning, not of clinical complexity. He walks through the Hinckley shooting that shaped the doctrine, the advance planning that precedes a foreign trip, and the accelerated 2000 transition between administrations. (16:42-24:26) Fifth Fleet, CENTCOM, and the Move from Clinician to Commander Dual-hatted as Force Surgeon for NAVCENT and Fleet Surgeon for Fifth Fleet, CAPT (Ret) Cox was responsible for Navy medical personnel from the NATO Role 3 hospital in Kandahar to individual augmentees with Afghan units and every ship in theater. He then turns to the leap into command, where a physician stops being the team leader and becomes the leader of a team of leaders. (24:27-37:01) Rebuilding Trust at VA: Accountability and High Reliability Three months into his VA tenure, the 2014 access-to-care scandal forced out the Secretary, the Under Secretary for Health, and the Medical Inspector. Dr.Cox took the Medical Inspector role and rebuilt its investigative culture on a single rule: every whistleblower allegation has an equal chance of being true or not true. He then describes the six-year high reliability rollout and the just culture that has to underpin it. (37:02-43:24) Bridging the Military Health System and the VA Dr. Cox explains why enrollment in VA health care is still opt-in rather than automatic, and what the failed Ensuring Veterans Transition Act would have changed. He contrasts the two patient populations and argues for moving providers and patients across both systems to preserve clinical currency and use existing VA capacity. (43:25-52:54) The Fifteen-Minute Walk: Resilience and Legacy A Navy admiral told him in 1997 to turn off the computer and go home, because the work will still be there in the morning. Dr. Cox and his wife have walked the dog together for fifteen minutes nearly every evening for more than fifteen years. He closes on what he wants remembered: integrity, treating people as people, and keeping the patient at the center of every decision. Take Home Messages Protective medical support is a discipline of seconds, not of clinical complexity. Caring for a president is less about the medicine than about position, communication, and rehearsal — a physician within seconds of the principal at all times, on the same radio frequency as the protective detail, staged on the side of the vehicle away from the threat. Every one of those procedures exists because a real failure in 1981 exposed the gap. Contingency planning is what converts a bad day into a survivable one. Accountability was redefined as punishment, and the substitution did real damage. In its original meaning, accountability is an objective, independent process for determining what actually happened. Congressional pressure turned it into a body count of terminations. You cannot fire your way to excellence, and a system that tries will lose the trust it needs to surface problems early. A just culture balances system responsibility against individual responsibility. People do not set out to make mistakes, and roughly 99.9 percent of the time they do not intend to harm anyone. Human error is inevitable, so the work is building systems that stop those errors before they reach the patient. Leaders and the system they run carry as much responsibility for prevention as the individual who erred. Command turns you from the team leader into the leader of a team of leaders. A clinician promoted into command arrives fluent in credentialing and clinical operations and largely ignorant of logistics, pharmacy, laboratory, and facilities management. The response is humility and questions, not bluff. Show up in the radiology suite on a Saturday morning and talk to the technician on duty, because the risks are visible at the front line and invisible in the C-suite. Protect fifteen minutes a day and the rest of the career becomes survivable. The work will still be there in the morning, so turn off the computer, go home, and have dinner with your family. One couple made a pledge at command leadership school to walk the dog together every evening, and more than fifteen years later they still do it. Careers can be slowed by choices made in favor of family; legacies are not. Episode Keywords military medicine, WarDocs podcast, White House physician, White House Medical Unit, Navy medicine, emergency medicine, HPSP, protective medical support, Secret Service, Reagan assassination attempt, Fifth Fleet, NAVCENT, CENTCOM, Afghanistan, Veterans Health Administration, VA health care, whistleblower, patient safety, high reliability organization, just culture, military health system, veteran transition, military leadership, military medical career Hashtags #MilitaryMedicine, #WarDocs, #NavyMedicine, #VeteransHealth, #WhiteHousePhysician, #PatientSafety, #HighReliability, #MilitaryLeadership   Honoring the Legacy and Preserving the History of Military Medicine The WarDocs Mission- WarDocs exists to honor the legacy of Military Medicine, preserve its history, and inspire every generation — across all Services, Corps, and Ranks — to serve with excellence and pride. Through mentorship, coaching, and education, we equip those considering, entering, and serving in military medicine with the knowledge, connections, and community they need to thrive. We celebrate Who we are, What we do, and, most importantly, How we serve Our Patients, the DoW, and Our Nation. Find out more and join Team WarDocs at https://www.wardocspodcast.com/ Check our list of previous guest episodes at https://www.wardocspodcast.com/our-guests Subscribe and Like our Videos on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@wardocspodcast Listen to the “What We Are For” Episode 47. https://bit.ly/3r87Afm WarDocs- The Military Medicine Podcast is a Non-Profit, Tax-exempt-501(c)(3) Veteran Run Organization run by volunteers. All donations are tax-deductible and go to honoring and preserving the history, experiences, successes, and lessons learned in Military Medicine. A tax receipt will be sent to you. WARDOCS documents the experiences, contributions, and innovations of all military medicine Services, ranks, and Corps who are affectionately called “Docs” as a sign of respect, trust, and confidence on and off the battlefield, demonstrating dedication to the medical care of fellow comrades in arms.   Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: @wardocspodcast Facebook: WarDocs Podcast Instagram: @wardocspodcast LinkedIn: WarDocs-The Military Medicine Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@wardocspodcast

On today's Flyover Conservatives Show, David and Stacy Whited sit down with Afghanistan combat veteran and Veteran Action founder Mark Lucas to expose the delays, loopholes, and bureaucratic barriers keeping veterans from timely care. America's veterans risked everything for our freedom, but too many are still forced to fight a broken system just to receive the healthcare they earned. Mark explains the Take Care of America's Veterans Act and how it could expand healthcare choice when the VA cannot provide treatment quickly enough. He also shares how viewers can contact their representatives in just a few minutes and help push Congress to act. This is more than a conversation—your voice could help change the system and potentially save a veteran's life.Tonight at 8:30pm CST, on the Flyover Conservatives show we are tackling the most important things going on RIGHT NOW from a Conservative Christian perspective! TO WATCH ALL FLYOVER CONTENT: www.theflyoverapp.com Follow and Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFlyoverConservativesShow To Schedule A Time To Talk To Dr. Dr. Kirk Elliott Go To ▶ https://flyovergold.comOr Call 720-605-3900 ► Receive your FREE 52 Date Night Ideas Playbook to make date night more exciting, go to www.prosperousmarriage.comMark Lucas X: https://x.com/MarkLucasUSAVeteran Action: https://www.veteranaction.orgMark Lucas is an Afghanistan combat veteran, former infantry officer in the Iowa Army National Guard, U.S. Army Ranger School graduate, and founder of Veteran Action. He earned the Combat Infantryman Badge and Bronze Star Medal while serving during one of the deadliest periods of Operation Enduring Freedom. As executive director of Concerned Veterans for America, Lucas worked with President Trump and Congress to help advance the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act and the VA MISSION Act. He has also led major national grassroots campaigns, including an effort that recruited more than 60,000 volunteers who contacted lawmakers over 250,000 times in support of Pete Hegseth and other cabinet nominees. Today, Lucas advocates for America First national-security policies, greater accountability within the VA, and expanded healthcare choice for the men and women who served our country. -------------------------------------------

In this compelling episode of "American Potential," Jeff Crank engages with Jason Beardsley, Senior Coalition Advisor for Concerned Veterans for America, to discuss the systemic issues plaguing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Beardsley reveals how the VA's misallocation of resources and bureaucratic inefficiencies have led to veterans being sidelined, with care and attention being diverted to non-citizens. Through a historical lens, they trace the VA's origins and its intended mission, contrasting it with the agency's current practices that stray far from its core purpose of serving America's veterans.   Beardsley advocates for a paradigm shift towards greater transparency, accountability, and a refocusing on veterans' needs. Highlighting the VA's involvement in providing services to illegal immigrants, he calls for legislative and cultural changes within the VA to ensure that veterans receive the priority and care they deserve. The episode delves into the complexities of government bureaucracy and the challenges of implementing effective oversight and reform.   Listeners will be taken through a thought-provoking discussion on the importance of restoring the VA's focus back to its founding principles. Beardsley's insights offer a critical examination of the administrative state's impact on veteran care and propose actionable solutions to reclaim and enhance the services intended for those who have bravely served the nation. This episode is an urgent call to action for reform, aiming to ignite a conversation on the necessity of prioritizing veteran welfare above bureaucratic convenience.   Check out American Potential here: https://americanpotential.com   Check out our Spanish episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8wSZydeKZ6uOuFlT_1QQ53L7l6AmC83c   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanPotentialPodcast     Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americanpotentialpodcast/   X: https://twitter.com/AMPotentialPod

In 2017, Congress passed the landmark VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act as a way to make it easier to fire Veterans Affairs employees while fairly treating them. The rule, however, has seen mixed results and two court cases recently knocked down the VA's interpretation of the law. Conor D. Dirks is an attorney at the firm of Shaw Bransford & Roth, where he has represented federal officials and employees in all aspects of federal personnel employment law. He wrote a case law update about the two cases affecting the VA headlined “Federal Circuit Knocks Down VA's Interpretation of 2017 'Accountability” Law'" on Fedmanager.com. He joined the show to discuss the cases and the future of disciplinary action in the government.  

VA's Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection is at a crucial moment in its short lifetime. The House is considering new legislation, with the goal of improving the office's performance and effectiveness. And the Senate is hopeful new political leadership will right the ship at OAWP. Current leaders at the VA accountability office say things have improved. But whistleblowers aren't so sure. More from Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko.

Congress has fielded complaints about the VA's Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection since that office's inception. The office has not gotten especially high marks from the VA inspector general or whistleblowers either. Now a House committee is considering legislative changes. Members agree something needs to change with the current VA accountability office. But they can't agree yet on what those changes should be. More from Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko.

In today's Federal Newscast, the President names Tamara Bonzanto to take over as the new assistant secretary for the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection at the Veterans Affairs Department.

The House Veterans Affairs Committee has mixed reviews of the new law it passed nearly one year ago. The committee checked in with the department about its implementation of the new accountability act. The VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act was a long-awaited and hailed piece of bipartisan legislation. But both Republicans and Democrats say they have some concerns. Federal News Radio's Nicole Ogrysko had more on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

It's been over a year now since President Donald Trump signed the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act into law. The president and top VA leadership at the time said the new law gave them much-needed authority to fire employees more quickly and hold senior executives more accountable. The department has been able to get slightly more people out the door but it's not any faster at firing the top people who make the big decisions. Federal News Radio's Nicole Ogrysko joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin for a look at the numbers.

Listen to the president during the State of the Union speech last month and you'd think the Veterans Affairs Department is firing its way to greatness. But in fact not that much has changed for VA employees since passage of the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act last year. Jeff Neal, former chief human capital officer at Homeland Security and vice president at ICF, has been following the law and its aftermath carefully. He joins Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss the Act.

President Donald Trump wants the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, which he signed into law last summer, to serve as a model for other agencies.

Berta a long time veterans advocate and member of the HadIt.com Veterans VA Disability Claims forums. Tongiht she shares her hopes for the VA Accountability Act. 

The amazing Berta Simmons will be joining us for this show. We will be discussing the just signed VA Accountability act and other important issues effecting veterans today.  Berta has been the heart and soul of Hadit.com for many many years. She is the most knowledgeable person I have ever met when it comes to the VA and I have been doing this stuff for a very long time. So pull up a chair and tune in for this one. If you want to call in and speak to Berta, the number is 347 237 4819.

06-23-2017 - President Trump Signs the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 - audio English

Congressman Jodey Arrington (R-TX 19), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity for the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, breaks down why we need the recently-passed VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act. Ambassador Gerald Feierstein updates us on the diplomatic crisis brewing in the Middle East after five Arab nations cut ties with Qatar.

The 2015 VA Accountability act has passed the House, now on to the Senate! We talk Jimmy Hoffa, Chattanooga & a Lil' mortgage and R/E. Scott Vilinskis scott@militarymortgagetalk.com www.MilitaryMortgageTalk.com