GULFPORT & BILOXI MISSISSIPPI VETERANS HOSPITALS

DIRECTOR: JULIE A. CATELLIER

STEVEN A. McCALEB

THIS IS A SAD DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY
WHEN THE VETERANS HOSPITALS ARE NOT
STAFFED WITH ENOUGH DOCTORS & NURSES

LINK:
A MUST READ ARTICLE*****

Veterans hospitals play by own rules
This article is a model for the Biloxi & Gulfport, Mississippi 
Veterans Hospitals

  

                            GULFPORT VA HOSPITAL                                                                              BILOXI VA HOSPITAL

http://www.visn16.med.va.gov/VISN%20Homepage/Biloxi/BILOXIFRAMESET.html

www.mississippiwebsite.com
          Home page

The below is an email I sent to the Director of the two veterans hospitals:

Subj: Request for information from VA director Julie Catellier
Date: 10/5/00 10:41:08 AM Central Daylight Time
From: Mccaleb5thdist
To: julie.catellier2@med.va.gov
To: Patricia.christ@mail.va.gov
CC: Jeanie.Demoruelle@med.va.gov
CC: adminvab@vab.state.ms.us, dona.long@med.va.gov
CC: consumeraffairs@mail.va.gov
CC: richard.griffin@mail.va.gov
CC: jackson.query@vba.va.gov, tsypko@mail.vfw.org

10/5/00 10:49:40 PM

Julie Catellier
Director Biloxi & Gulfport
Veterans Hospital

Julie:

I want to know if the rumors I keep hearing are true. I have been told that the Gulfport Veterans Hospital is going to be sold. Is this true, and if so, why? The Mississippi Gulfport Veterans Hospital is an icon on the coast, and should remain the property of the federal government.
I am requesting any, and all information concerning the Gulfport, Mississippi Veterans Hospital.
I am going to build a web page just on you (Julie A. Catellier), and the Gulfport and Biloxi Hospitals.

 I had an appointment yesterday (Oct. 4, 2000) at 10:20am at the Surgery Specialty Clinic. When I got to the first floor, I was told that the Surgery Specialty Clinic had been moved to the 4th floor - west end. 

When I arrived I witnessed the most unorganized medical room I have ever seen. People sitting, people standing, and two desks with computer stations and two women wondering what they were doing.

I made an announcement about the 30-30-30 rules, and I was amazed at how many people did not know about the rule. The man I was sitting next to had a VA letter telling him he had an appointment at 10:00am. He drove from Pensacola, Florida, and did not know what the appointment was for. I have requested in the past that your letters explain the purpose of the appointment/s.

30-30-30 Rule:

You must be within 30 minutes of the Veterans Hospital
You must be seen within 30 minutes of you appointment time
You will be seen for 30 minutes of less by your doctor

Once I explained the 30-30-30 rules, a nurse made an announcement that they were over an hour behind schedule and requested people to reschedule if they did not want to wait. The man from Pensacola and myself, along with many others rescheduled.

Dermatology is another area, which needs immediate attention. Why is it that the Biloxi Veterans Hospital does not have a dermatology doctor? Why is it that intern doctors from Tulane Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana come to the Biloxi Veterans Hospital every two weeks? Why is there a six (6) month waiting list to be seen by these interns from Tulane Hospital? 

I want to know why the correct size American flag is not flying on your 75 feet flagpoles (Gulfport & Biloxi).  I researched the flag size, cost, and where these flag can be purchased. I did this on the request of your consumer affairs office on the first floor.
Veterans like they're American Flags, and it is a disgrace for you and the director not correcting the problem. I am sure with all of the active duty you have, you understand the importance of the little things we veterans expect. 

Please respond to my request for information

Sincerely,

Steven A. McCaleb

RENI WINTER
THE SUN HERALD

GULFPORT - Although the Gulfport Veterans Affairs hospital is part of a national review of outdated and underused hospitals, officials said Thursday it is far too early to say the hospital is closing.

"We're waiting on headquarters to tell us what the next step is," said Gary Butterfield, staff assistant to Julie Catellier, VA Health Care System director. Catellier was out of town.

Although VA officials said it could be years before a decision is made on the Gulfport hospital, U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor wanted his position known Thursday.

"Our nation's veterans deserve a great location like that," said Taylor, a Democrat from Bay St. Louis and a staunch supporter of veterans and the military. "If that hospital is closed, it would be perceived as one more benefit they would be losing." I will do everything humanly possible to keep that from happening."

All I can say about the above statement made by our Congressman Gene Taylor (first elected 1989): IT'S AN ELECTION YEAR!!!
MISSISSIPPI ELECTION 2000

Butterfield said two people from VA headquarters in Washington came to the Coast in late August to start a review of the 77-year-old hospital. In 1999, Congress' General Accounting Office told the VA to conduct a nationwide review of all of its hospitals to determine which ones are outdated or underused.

The GAO estimates the VA spends about $1 million a day to maintain outdated hospitals nationwide. The GAO thinks the money could be better used to provide health care, and ordered the evaluation to determine what hospitals could be closed or consolidated.

If the Director, Julie A. Catellier, would hire the doctors & nurses needed to staff the Gulfport & Biloxi Hospital's the million a day cost would be worth every penny.

The Biloxi hospital complex has no empty space, except for one wing which is being renovated. But the Gulfport hospital has a lot of empty space, Butterfield said. He could not give an exact amount, but said 91 beds are in use.

There are approx. 50 beds available at the Biloxi Hospital. That is way, way, to few, the Gulfport & Biloxi VA Hospitals see veterans from Alabama & Florida.  But the hospitals are way under staffed with doctors & nurses, and the reason the veterans hospitals do not have the doctors and nurses required to staff hospitals is because the veterans administration will not pay. Since doctors makes good money in the private sectors, and the veterans administration will not pay to hire the doctors & nurses the veterans hospitals needed.

Correction on beds at the Biloxi Veterans Hospital.  There are 48 beds and 7 of those beds are ICU beds.

Yet, if you have third party insurance, the veterans hospitals have know problem billing your insurance for services. Between the money the federal government provides and the billing of third party insurance they should have the best doctors & nurses money can buy.

PLEASE VOTE REPUBLICAN FOR PRESIDENT - THIS MAY BE THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THE GULFPORT & BILOXI HOSPITALS AND REPLACE THE CURRENT DIRECTOR. 

"That number has been going down steadily over the last 10 years," he said. "I've heard the director talk to employee groups and veterans service groups. She told them we are looking for ways to make the best use of taxpayers' money. This isn't new, knowing we have vacant space."

Have you checked out your Congress lately, and this director is looking to make the best use of taxpayer's money.  Congress will waste more money in a month than it would take to staff both Gulfport & Biloxi Hospitals.

Butterfield said that because the review is new, he can't predict how long it will take.

"It's not a local decision, it's a headquarters decision," he said. "We'll probably all find out together."

It only took me one year to see an intern  from New Orleans for my Dermatology appointment 

Yesterday, April 20, 2001 was one year in order to see a dermatologist at my Veterans Hospital.

I asked the doctor which saw me if she thought the veterans hospital should have a full time dermatologist on staff at the Biloxi, Mississippi hospital.

She agreed their should be on one staff, since it took me a year to see a dermatologist.

Then why is there not a full time dermatologist at the Biloxi, Mississippi Veterans Hospital. It is not because of not having enough veterans waiting to see a dermatologist. 

I waited almost an hour before I saw the doctor, but I was within five minutes of the 30-30-30 rule.

You must be within 30 miles of the veterans hospital, you will be seen within 30 minutes of you appointment time, and the doctor will see you know more than 30 minutes.

That is the 30-30-30 rule.

If you have third party insurance you are more likely to get an appointment ahead of a veteran which does not. The Veterans hospitals compete each year to see who made the most money, this is turn shows that the veterans hospital's are working for the money not the veterans.

The Biloxi, Mississippi Veterans Hospital won't even fly the correct size American Flag on there 75 foot flag poles.

This could be because the director is a female, which has never had one day of active duty. An American Flag to her is just a piece of cloth.

I recommend, if eligible, to get TRICARE PRIME, and use the Keesler Air Force Base Hospital. It took me two weeks to get an appointment with a dermatologist at Keesler Hospital.

You are assigned a doctor, and your doctor ensures you get access to other doctors in the hospital.

This Veterans Hospital has gone to the dogs, they rely on interns which are assigned to the Biloxi Hospital for there internship.

This Veterans Hospital will not hire the proper number of doctors and nurses it needs to have a quality Veterans Hospital.

Veterans are not getting quality health care, it may take another war in order for quality care to be established.

Our overpaid elected officials are not supporting the veterans unless it is an election year, then they come out and as for our support.

I do not vote for any elected official which has been in office two terms. They need to move on after two terms, and not get ingrained into the system.

Steven A. McCaleb

If you are concerned and want to make a difference email the below agencies:

White House E-Mail Addresses

julie.catellier2@med.va.gov
Director Biloxi VA hospital

Patricia.christ@mail.va.gov
Patricia Christ
Office on Inspector Gen.(54B)
1-202-565-8450
Fax: 1-202-565-8476

Jeanie.Demoruelle@med.va.gov
Consumers Affairs Office, Biloxi

adminvab@vab.state.ms.us
Biloxi 

consumeraffairs@mail.va.gov
Washington, DC

richard.griffin@mail.va.gov
Washington, DC

jackson.query@vba.va.gov
Director, Leo Wurschmidt
Veterans Administrative Office
Jackson, Mississippi

senatorlott@lott.senate.gov
Senator Trent Lott

gene.taylor@mail.house.gov
Congressman Gene Taylor

llong@wlox.com
Leon Long
Manager WLOX_TV CH-13/ABC
Biloxi, Mississippi
Affiliate of Disney,  CEO of ABC is Thomas Murphy. As you know, ABC, is part of Disney. 

http://disney.go.com/investors/proxy99/proxy.html
http://www.vault.com/vstore/snapshots/snapshothome.cfm?Product_ID=569&o bjectgroup_id=248

rweeks@sunherald.com
Publisher of Sun Herald Newspaper
Affiliate of Knight-Ridder  

IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON THE VETERANS HOSPITALS PLEASE EMAIL ME AT:

mccaleb4thdist@aol.com
Published: October 5, 2000
Updated: October 10, 200
Updated January 30, 2001
Updated April 21, 2001

This will be an ongoing web page

Administrated and Published by: STEVEN A. McCALEB

please excuse my publishing
mistakes.