How to File an Effective Complaint With the VA (Veterans Adminisration)
A few weeks ago, hubby received a letter from the VA containing a copy of an "Incident Report from a Complaining Witness" alleging that his Service
dog had growled and lunged at this person and his therapy dog when hubby was there for an exam at the VA premises in La Jolla, CA.
This incident report was dated several months earlier. Evidently the VA had sent a copy multiple times to a defunct address. At no time did they try
to contact my husband through his primary caretakers at the La Jolla location who have numerous records indicating his correct mailing address, phone
numbers and email.
Needless to say, once the copy of this "Incident Report" was read by hubby, he became royally PO'd.
He called the security office responsible for the "Incident Report" to ask what was going on and he got a brisk and royal bureaucratic brushoff that
only a truly lazy and indifferent civil service office can perfect and deliver with such devastating effect.
So, hubby wrote a letter of protest, detailing and refuting all the errors. omissions and misstatements of fact that this so-called complaining
witness was professing and his letter highlighted the complete lack of proper investigation (i.e., an interview with him for his side of the story)
before this "Incident Report" was filed and made part of the official record.
The letter of protest was sent directly to The Honorable Eric Shinseiki, U.S., four star general (ret.)., Secretary of Veterans Affairs, with a cc to
the Director of the La Jolla VA.
Side note: While I was researching the address and correct title to head the letter to General Shinseiki, I looked over at my hubby and said, "Guess
what? He's an Oahu island boy just like you."
So hubby referenced that common background in his letter to the general in an effort to open the communication on a congenial note.
He sent the letter off last week and we basically forgot about it, figuring we had done as much as we could do.
Today, Monday morning, we are in line at the Otay crossing waiting to head north across the border when hubby's phone rings. He answers and then
says, "Yes I am (first name, last name). Yes, I am available to talk right now."
I was barely listening, but then, on my end I heard, "Yes. I went to Punaho, did you know so-and-so?" And this went on for a few minutes with
exchanges of names and events from the past.
Gradually, it dawned on me, "Holy shi*snacks, Batman! It's the man himself!"
They chatted for about twenty minutes, establishing creds, then moved on to hubby's account of what happened in regards to the alleged incident.
They wound it up with hubby thanking the general for the call and offering any assistance that he might be able to give in the future.
That was the event that jerked me abruptly out of my half-asleep, indifferent state of mind during a very early Monday morning road trip and I was
wide awake for the rest of the day.
[Edited on 5-20-2014 by Gypsy Jan]
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
|
