Issa Receives Commitment from Head of San Diego VA to Resolve Local Veterans’ Issues

On Friday, October 28, Congressman Darrell Issa met with Dr. Robert Smith, M.D., Director of the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System and secured a commitment to fix several issues plaguing the local VA.

Over the last week, Congressman Issa had been leading an outreach program, asking veterans to submit concerns and problems with the VA to a special hotline he’d set up at Issa.Veterans@mail.house.gov.

San Diego area veterans submitted their concerns on a wide range of issues they have faced when dealing with the VA.

During Friday’s meeting, Issa raised those issues with Dr. Smith in order to find a resolution.

“I’ve heard from San Diego veterans who need the VA health care system to work better for them, whether it’s finding a parking spot within walking distance of a clinic or not being able to reach anyone on the suicide prevention hotline. These are serious issues that need to be immediately addressed promptly. That’s why I sat down with the head of the San Diego VA so that we could find solutions for each major problem because our veterans deserve better than what they currently receive. I’m glad to announce that Dr. Smith will be dedicating VA resources to make sure the needs of San Diego area veterans are addressed,” said Issa.

In early October a string of recent VA scandals came to light, including a reportfrom the Union Tribune that detailed the VA’s failure to help a veteran until the reporter publicized the veteran’s attempts to have the Mission Valley VA Clinic’s phone system fixed. Issa then asked area veterans to contact his office with specific problems. Friday’s meeting was the culmination of Issa’s efforts to bring the veterans’ issues directly to the head of the San Diego VA.

As a result of Issa’s meeting, Dr. Smith committed to dedicated VA resources to address four major issues: Streamlining women’s health services, tailoring VA visits to individuals’ needs, fixing suicide prevention hotline, and improving parking options at various VA centers. Additionally, Dr. Smith agreed to meet with Issa in one month to update the Congressman on the status of Issa’s requests

Women’s Services: women veterans requesting the VA improve services for gynecological health.

Tailoring VA Visits: A majority of the veterans who contacted Issa’s office requested the VA tailor services to the individual’s needs. Issa’s office found that generally older veterans prefer consistent long-term health care services, including developing relationships with specific doctors. Younger veterans were more concerned with immediate access and convenience, such as having the ability to visit any VA clinic and obtain the services they need.

Suicide Prevent Hotline: The VA’s suicide prevention hotline has been experiencing problems on a national scale. In San Diego, veterans have been unable to utilize the suicide prevention hotline due to technical problems that would abruptly end incoming calls.

Parking: Several veterans contacted Issa’s office regarding problems with parking availability at various San Diego VA centers. The lack of or inconvenience of certain parking situations has led to veterans missing their appointments.

California has the largest veteran population in the United States, and the VA San Diego Healthcare System is responsible for providing care to over 235,100 veterans.