Kudos To Fayetteville VA Hospital

With the sad news about possible chicanery and long wait lists for appointments for veterans to get to see a VA doctor in certain VA hospitals or clinics, I'd like to say "kudos" to our local VA hospital in Fayetteville. There are always a few people who will find fault with any and everything. Outside of those few, I have heard many good things about our VA hospital, the staff of doctors, nurses, and all the people it takes to make a hospital run smoothly.

I am a World War II veteran with service-connected disabilities who received my first treatment (dental) there in the summer of 1951. I have never been denied service or put on a long wait list. I have been a patient at the hospital no less than three or four times over the years. I always received the best care that was humanly possible. A few times, the doctors and nurses have gone beyond their required duties to see that the best care was administered.

In 1983, I had fallen and broke an ankle bone. An old doctor looked at the X-ray and went to work. He put a stainless steel screw in and pulled the bone back together. He put the cast on himself. He wanted to make sure it was done like he wanted it done. He told me if the pin ever gave me any trouble after the bone knitted back strong, to come back and he'd take it out. It never gave me any trouble. It did set off an alarm at an airport once. I'd even forgotten it was still there.

About 2010, I got a spider bite. My primary care doctors admitted me so they could treat the swollen arm. Before I was discharged, they were giving me "catch up" shots of my blood thinner and lacked about three giving them all. They sent those three already-prepared shots home with me. I had learned to give them myself, no problem. The doctor or the primary care nurse decided I needed home health care and arranged for a nurse to come to my home and give me the daily shot plus fill my medicine box so I'd be sure and get the right doses. When the nurse came all the way from Bentonville to do that, I had already given myself the first of the three shots and I fill my medicine box once a week myself. The nurse was nice and insisted she should come back the next morning to perform the tasks. I saw no need to run up a bill for the VA to pay when I didn't need the service. She was determined to have it her way. I guess I convinced her when I told her to come on, but I'd be on the golf course somewhere. She didn't show up.

I tell this only to emphasize the excellent, compassionate care I have received over the many years at our VA hospital in Fayetteville.

Bill Schaefer

Lincoln

Commentary on 07/17/2014

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