VA Watchdog Stuff...
cups, hats, shirts...
click on item to order
and support the site.






Be sure to get all four
VA Watchdog dot Org
RSS feeds --
Daily VA
News Flashes
House CVA
Veterans' News
Senate CVA
Veterans' News
VA Press
Releases
 

Download your
free copy of the
2008 VA benefits
handbook here...
 

Printer-Friendly Version

UPDATE: VA'S MAILROOM MADNESS AND FILEROOM

FOLLIES -- At the core of the VA's shredder scandal is

a "Who Cares" attitude when it comes to handling

mail and properly filing documents, problems

the VA is studiously trying to minimize.

All stories regarding the VA's shredder scandal can be found on this page... click here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/VAshredderscandal.htm

Story below:

-------------------------

UPDATE: VA'S MAILROOM MADNESS AND FILEROOM FOLLIES

At the core of the VA's shredder scandal is a "Who Cares" attitude when it comes to handling mail and properly filing documents, problems the VA is studiously trying to minimize.

by Larry Scott

Like the Wizard of Oz admonishing his visitors to "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain," the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) is hard at work trying to spin the shredder scandal into a small problem that has been resolved.  Efforts to minimize the real problem of mishandling incoming documents are taking on a Wiz-like ring:  Pay no attention to the thousands of pieces of mail waiting to be opened and filed. (All VA shredder articles can be found here... http://www.vawatchdog.org/VAshredderscandal.htm )

In the first article about the shredder scandal, we reported on problems at the VA's New York Region Office (VARO) run by the Veterans' Benefits Administration (VBA).  (Article here... http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfoct08/nf101308-1.htm )

The New York VARO, one of 57 such offices tasked with processing veterans' claims, found itself under investigation by the VA's Office of Inspector General (VAOIG).  At issue was "timeliness," that is, how incoming documents associated with claims are received, date/time stamped and then moved to the proper person or file for processing of the claim.

VAOIG found such a mess at the New York VARO that four top employees (newer reports say six) were placed on administrative leave and regional VA employees were brought in to help straighten out the problems.  Those removed from the VARO had been, allegedly, faking their "timeliness" reports to the VA to make it look like they were more efficient and productive than they really were.

MAILROOM MADNESS

How big was the problem at the New York VARO?

On October 22, 2008, the New York State Division of Veterans' Affairs held a Counselor Refresher Training Seminar at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, NY.  Early in the meeting a New York VARO representative, who gave his name as John B., said problems found by VAOIG were improper entry dates on documents and improper procedures.  John B. stated 20,000 pieces of mail were not opened and paperwork files were not collated or properly attended to.  Apparently, this had been going on for some time.

VA Watchdog dot Org asked the VBA to comment about the 20,000 pieces of mail found by VAOIG at the New York VARO.  Here is the official VBA response:

Over the course of the last three weeks, the management team at the New York Regional Office has been assessing loose, opened, mail that needed to be reviewed and associated with claims folders. While we do not know the exact number it was significantly less than 20,000 that is being reported by some. This mail includes items that required action and other items that simply need to be associated with a claims folder.

As of close of business Friday, October 24, 2008, the New York Regional Office has 717 pieces of mail pending that require review and may require action. These remaining pieces of mail will be appropriately handled by close of business on Monday, October 27, 2008.

It is obvious from this non-response from VBA that they are trying to minimize the issue of mishandled documents.  They wouldn't say how many pieces of mail were found.  But, since they claim they can process the remaining 717 pieces of mail in one day, and we know that the VARO was "taken over" on October 6, 2008, it is possible that they have processed over 15,000 pieces of mishandled mail.

FILEROOM FOLLIES

Another part of the core issue is what happens to documents once they start getting handed around the VARO.  The working rules and management oversight at most VAROs are so lax that many documents don't get filed correctly, or at all.  And, many times, the filing process is given to lower-level, part-time or contract employees.

One such file clerk, a contract employee, related this VARO experience:

It was hard to watch people just walk around all day avoiding any sort of work while piles and piles of papers needed to be filed, or sorted to then be filed, some of them four months old.

A Rater asked for a file that was available at an earlier date, but is apparently now missing.  The rater asked their Supervisor, "What should I do?"   The Supervisor's response was, "Tell the veteran his claim was denied and let him appeal it."  This was to give them more time to find the file.

I would find documents in the wrong files and when trying to place them in the correct veteran's file often found that the file was either missing or the veteran was deceased.  Many of these misplaced documents were medical reports from outside doctors or Notices of Disagreement and other documents which were sent by the veteran to the VARO for proper processing of a claim.  Some were decades old.

Can we multiply the above situations by 57 to get a look at the problem of document handling at Regional Offices?  No, and, yes.  No, because not all VAROs have problems of the magnitude of those discovered at New York.  Yes, because all VAROs have problems.  Now, it's up to the VBA, working with the VAOIG, to root out the problems and get their 57 houses in order. 

And, it's time for more VA employees to come forward with information to help the VBA and VAOIG, and the veterans they serve.  Can one person make a difference?  Remember, this entire shredder scandal story started with just one VA employee in Detroit who cared enough to do the right thing.

But, will the VA hierarchy do the right thing?  The VA, judged on past performance, will continue to spin this issue of improper document handling by focusing solely on the shredder bins and minimizing the larger issue.

All we can hope is that the hearing before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs the week of November 17, 2008, will keep the focus on the main issue:  Handling of all documents coming into and moving through the VAROs, not just those that ended up in a shredder bin.

-------------------------

-------------------------
NOTE FOR COMMENTING:
Comments are moderated.  VA Watchdog dot Org has no obligation to post any comment and will not post rude, profane, libelous, or off-subject comments ... comments advertising products, services or web sites ... or comments containing misinformation that might pose a disservice to the veterans' community.

-------------------------

posted by Larry Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org

Don't forget to read all of today's VA News Flashes (click here)

Click here to make VA Watchdog dot Org your homepage

email Larry

(go back to VA Watchdog dot Org Home Page)

       
Military Medical Malpractice 
Legal Network               

VA Watchdog Stuff...
cups, hats, shirts...
click on item to order
and support the site.