Veteran Affairs (V.A.) may be too big to simply fix. It may
in fact have to be replaced due to its largess. But what would it look
like. Here is one an idea.
The replacement: For one, the V.A. could be staffed
by returning soldiers rather than traditional pencil pushers. For
instance, doctors who serve in the field will be doctors treating their fellow
veterans. This also helps psychologically as now a veteran who knows the
rigors of service can have a doctor empathies and know what they went through.
Likewise, soldiers who know procurement and act as secretaries as well as
other non-combat jobs that can translate to health and wellness can directly
translate to helping fellow veterans. Obviously, more specialized doctors
may be needed, and thus hired. However, veterans who continue their
medical education can supplant these private doctors to ensure that a soldier
is being taken care of by fellow soldier in all aspects of care. Military
family members may also serve in this newer version of the V.A., but must meet
specific requirements and be recommended by another member of the armed forces
outside of a family member, which vouches for their character and abilities.
Obviously, benefits would be completely
reworked and perhaps based on George Washington's original idea for combat
benefits for soldiers. In this case, soldiers wounded in battle would get
preferential treatment, and then it is scaled from there. No more, sleep
apnea patients getting more benefits over soldiers who had their limbs blown
off.
As for organization, it will be organized
in a similar manner to a military unit and its deployment. The military
unit approach would apply combat principles and deployments to doctors and
other members of the V.A. to go where they are needed most and then shift them
based on need once a job is done. Essentially, it will be a completely
organic organization that has no permanent roots anywhere save in select
locations due to costs involved (i.e. rehab centers and their equipment).
But specialists in psychology, doctors of course and those injuries and
treatments that do not require expensive equipment or is transportable without
losing effectiveness in treatment can go anywhere at any time to help our
veterans. Heck, the V.A. can use the old Mobile Army Surgical Hospital
(M.A.S.H) model for when extra support for veterans is needed. Basically,
we want to bring the care to the soldier if possible, and not the other way
around.
Conclusion: This is obviously a working
concept, but you get the idea. Soldiers being the staff mean we have
people who know and feel what our soldiers went through. Re-aligning
benefits to fit the types of injuries ensures adequate care. A mobile
organization prevents the need for permanent facilities that would otherwise
create possible waste, while bringing care to the patients. Essentially,
it becomes concierge medicine, with small exceptions. I want our Veterans
to be taken care of in the right way. In a way that ensures comfort and
accelerates healing. To be honest, I would like it to be donation
based like the USO if possible as well, but that may be much harder due to
costs (at one point I thought maybe the USO should take over the V.A.'s role).
No matter what though, our soldiers sacrifice a lot, and we need to make
sure we give back to them the right way.
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