Tribute to the VA .(posted on my blog at: www.forbodden.blogspot.com/)
I was sent last summer to Biloxi,Ms. In order to receive external beam radiation treatments at Kesler AFB and stayed at the VA domiciliary in Biloxi. I had received 14 treatments(one treatment a day, five days a week and I needed a total of 39 treatments) and on Mon. The 29th. Katrina hit this area. The destruction was unbelievable and widespread, the VA facility at Gulfport was damaged beyond repair and Kesler AFB sustained heavy damage with severe flooding, the hospital was flooded losing medical records and equipment. The VA hospital and facility at Biloxi suffered severe damage and flooding. However due to the tremendous effects by the entire staff, myself and the other patients did not miss a hot meal all during this ordeal. By wed. morning the staff had arranged transportation for myself and the other medical patients to Jackson, Ms. At the G.V.(Sonny) Montgomery,VA Medical Center. We made this trip in a convoy of rental u-haul-it trucks,vans and one bus.As there was nothing open (no electric power)between Biloxi,Ms. and Jackson,Ms. we were forced to use the woods along the highways for calls of nature,this made it very difficult for the patients in wheelchairs and the ones on walkers or crutches. However the drivers,nurses and the other members of the staff that came with us were helpful in every way possible to make the trip as easy as they could. We arrived here at 8P.M. after a long and tiring trip with many delays due to the destruction. Here we were greeted at the entrance by the Jackson staff who had stayed over to get us checked in and they even had arranged for a hot meal,which was greatly appreciated, as we had no food or drinks except for the provisions that had been brought along in coolers from Biloxi. They had imported teams of nurses and other personnel from all over the U.S. to assist the facility here to handle all the medical patients that were being sent here from the entire area hit by Katrina. It is a true tribute to the VA to realize that by Wed. Addional personnel was arriving from as far away as Pittsburg,Pens. I want to give special thanks to the team from the VA facility at Whispering Pines,Tampa Fl., the staff at the Radiation therapy dept. at Jackson who by Thurs. Morning was giving us our treatments and even arranged to work Sat. In order to catch up on the treatments we had missed.( The treatments on the 29th. And 30th.)The radiation therapy dept at Keeler who gave us such outstanding care and the staff at the hospital at the KeeslerAFB, who entered the flooded rooms and got the medical records out of the rooms and spread them on the lawn to dry in the sun so they could be transmitted to our doctors in Jackson, Ms. To ensure that we received the best treatments possible.This was done because all the electronic equipment including all the computers were made inoperative by the flooding. It is impossible for me to describe the professionalism and the concern for the patients exhibited by the entire staffs in both the VA facilities I stayed at. Hearing all the complaints about the governmental response to this national disaster, I do not know about the other governmental agencies(Fema,etc.)but they all could take a lesson from the VA. Signed: F.J. Palmer
added special thanks to :John R. Sherman,Domiciliary Officer at the VA facility in Biloxi and his entire staff .,Kevin O’Leary and Dr. Horak at the VA Urology Clinic at the Pensacola Naval Hospital.,Dr. Jai,at the radiation dept. at Jackson,the library staff at Jackson,and the warehouse manager at Jackson who in addition to his regular job was delivering medical supplies and generators to the Biloxi area and helped me recover my auto that I had left in Biloxi. And all the other Doctors and their staffs that give such outstanding service.Also to all the other patients whom I had the pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with, in particular Mr. I.C.Brewton.