Penthouse 2007-07 by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Format: epub

Healng Walter Reed For too long, America's wounded heroes have been facing friendly fire from an uncaring bureaucracy. But finally we're getting some optimistic reports from the medical front lines. By Matthew Currier Burden Ifirst set foot in Walter Reed Army Medical Center a few years ago when! visiteda friend who had lost afootin combat in raq While | was there, looked in on some other wounded troops to see if | could do anything for them. As you might expect, was pretty nervous. Hospitals are never fun places to visit, especially when you're seeing friends who have been all shotup. But my visit was not at all what | expected. The soldiers! met were very positive and eager to return to their units. In fact, many of thom wanted my experience at their hospital to be a good one. And for acouple of years, felt energized, even uplifted, after Visiting Walter Reed. But more recentiy, Ive heard increasingly frequent complaints-not about the medical care, but about the bureaucracy. And now, those complaints have become national news—and a national scandal. Soldiers always gripe—and honestly, l'd be worried if they stopped. But the volume of complaints and frustration being ‘expressed is truly disturbing, The biggest issue (which first heard about froma nurse)! that there is no spokesperson-- no. ‘ombudsman, to use a currently fashionable word—whosejob is to ‘act on behalf of wounded soldiers. Thereare afew military liaisons who report to the commander, but no one outside the chain of command who can solve issues for the patients. Soldiers have to fend for themselves. Problems arise ifa soldier doesn't have a family member to look after his well-being (like atany hospital, you or your family need to beproactive about taking charge of your own care). As! said, soldiers ike to gripe, but they're trained to "driveon" no matter the circumstances. So when someone gets woundedand stuck inahospital, hetendstoaccept theconditionsasthey are. He toughs itout. That mentality probably explains why ittookso long for this national disgrace to make the front pages. Since the scandal broke, ve been asked several times f Iwas aware of the abysmal conditions at the hospital during my visits and fund-raising efforts to supportthe patients. The fact is, what I had seen during those visits was fine. I didn't know about the now-infamous vermin-infested Building 18, and the doctors, nurses, and therapists of Walter Reed are among the most caring and capable professionals 've ever met. But | was unawareof the problems with the civilian and military administration and leadership of the hospital—andsince | didn’t know about those problems, after a couple of dozen visits to Walter Reed, it's not surprising tomethat most of America didn'tknow either. The reporters who broke this story deserve great praise. SS PENTHOUSECOM

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