Dr. Jose Mathews, who was head of psychiatry at the St. Louis VA until he came forward about inefficiency at the office, spoke to radio host Charlie Brennan about his experiences at the VA this morning.
Mathews stated bonuses were given to upper management at the VA despite inefficiency within the St. Louis office, such as psychiatrists seeing six patients a day, when they could have seen nine or 12. He also said that after he voiced his concern, he was sent into the basement with a desk job where people taunted him.
He added that there was a “disconnect” between what the VA reports and the truth, and that VA officials know this disconnect exists. He also stated that employees are not “doing a reasonable day’s work,” but there is a culture within the VA where people believe “if anyone stands up, we’re going to come down on you.”
An anonymous caller who claimed he worked for housekeeping at the VA stated that what Mathews said was completely accurate. However, another anonymous caller who stated they worked within the mental health wing of the VA stated that Mathews’ claims were inaccurate. Mathews argued that this caller was a product of inefficient VA practices who viewed half-day work as hard work.
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.