It's a lesson that military officers learn early: Don't fight the problem. Solve it.
The water buffalo didn't make it to the shooting range? Yelling at the sergeants isn't going to quench the troops' thirst. Find some water, solve the problem. Nobody thought to schedule a classroom for CPR training? Hollering at the corporal isn't going to train the soldiers. Find a shade tree, move the CPR dummies, solve the problem.
Right now, when it comes to central Arkansas' veterans hospital, it might be difficult for some of us to not stomp around and cuss. But that's not going to solve the problem. Our veterans deserve better.
The news side of this operation, once again, has done a public service in just asking some questions. The front-page story the other day noted that a couple of supervisors at the VA hospital who (1) instructed employees to manipulate patient data and (2) lied to federal investigators were simply reassigned. And only after members of the media and some folks in Congress began nosing around and asking questions.
Reporters started digging around in mid-March when the Inspector General issued a report saying that a couple of local VA employees altered patients' wait times to make it seem veterans weren't waiting so long to see doctors. The national scandal has hit home. And halfway through the story, many readers might have had to count to 10, or maybe kick a wall.
But there are those who'd rather solve the problem than fight it. For best example, take central Arkansas' congressman French Hill. He is co-sponsoring a bill called the VA Accountability Act of 2015, which would ease the VA's ability to fire employees for cause. Lest we forget, the VA is a government operation. Combine government and military and health care, and you can only imagine what kind of red tape ties up the works. Congressman Hill's bill passed the House last year (which is why they call it a 2015 Act), but it's still awaiting Senate approval.
On the Senate side, Arkansas' own John Boozman has his own bill that would help hold VA employees accountable. What's holding up passage of either or both is beyond us. But it would seem that these kinds of bills would get the fast-track, even in a bitterly divided federal city.
There is one bit of good news: The VA in Little Rock just got a new director in April. Dr. Margie Scott takes over after a handful of interims over the years. So there's new leadership. At least locally. (As of this writing, the national VA secretary, Robert McDonald, hasn't resigned over his Disneyland comments. Yet. If our readership thinks that we'd be in favor of such a course, we're happy you don't misunderstand.)
It's easy to fight the problem. Trust us. Some officers specialize in it.
Solving the problem is a better path--and it can start with Dr. Margie Scott. And with a couple of bills sponsored by some honorable congressional types from Arkansas.
Editorial on 05/28/2016