The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is working to re-establish its trust with veterans and taxpayers. However, issues in Arkansas are significantly undermining the public's confidence in VA.
As I told VA Secretary Robert McDonald recently, vigorous oversight is needed.
Congressman French Hill and I are demanding accountability. We requested an investigation by the VA Office of the Inspector General into the conflicting construction projects at the Little Rock Veterans Affairs Medical Center that wasted taxpayer dollars.
Prior to construction on an $8 million solar panel project, VA received approval to build a new parking garage for the same area. Instead of relocating one of the projects, VA built the solar panels, which are now being dismantled to make room for construction of the parking garage. What's worse, the solar panels were never activated because they were not compatible with the local energy grid.
VA is suffering a similar erosion of trust within the Arkansas medical community. Our state has 75 hospitals with 4,400 claims pending with VA, worth a total of $24 million. At a time when VA is relying more heavily upon private medical providers to care for veterans, this is a real concern. Some hospitals are considering whether they can afford to continue to treat veterans because VA's lack of payments threatens their financial solvency.
VA needs the help of outside providers to make its health-care programs successful. If the hospitals in Arkansas and across the country do not trust VA, caring for our nation's veterans will be much more difficult.
If the public can't trust VA to use taxpayer money wisely, Americans will lose faith. If VA refuses to meet its obligations to providers, veterans will lose service. These problems require an immediate course correction on VA's part and I am committed to holding the agency accountable.
First and foremost, Secretary McDonald must instill better communication within VA. The agency's failure to communicate in a timely manner, or at all, is rightfully frustrating.
Second, people must also be held accountable. The culture at VA must change, and the only way to do that is to let every employee know that there are consequences for failing their duties.
Third, technology must be modernized. The fact that Arkansas hospital employees have been on hold for two hours to check on the status of an unpaid claim is absurd. VA needs to invest in updated technology so that veterans and providers have quick and secure access to the information they need.
I know Secretary McDonald is committed to these issues, but there has to be unwavering dedication to seeing it through, no matter how long it takes.
Our veterans deserve the care and attention they earned by serving their country. I am ready to help our veterans in any way I can, and will work for reforms and positive change within the department.
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John Boozman is the senior U.S. senator for the state of Arkansas.
Editorial on 05/04/2015