Has the VA Become a White Elephant?

No abstract available. Article truncated at 150 words. As I write this Dennis Wagner is publishing a series of articles in the Arizona Republic describing his quest to find out if care at VA hospitals have improved over the last 2 years (1). To begin the article Wagner describes the fable of the Kin...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Robbins RA
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Arizona Thoracic Society 2016-11-01
Series:Southwest Journal of Pulmonary and Critical Care
Subjects:
VA
Online Access:http://www.swjpcc.com/editorial/2016/11/11/has-the-va-become-a-white-elephant.html
Description
Summary:No abstract available. Article truncated at 150 words. As I write this Dennis Wagner is publishing a series of articles in the Arizona Republic describing his quest to find out if care at VA hospitals have improved over the last 2 years (1). To begin the article Wagner describes the fable of the King of Siam who presented albino pachyderms to his enemies knowing they would be bankrupted because the cost of food and care outweighed all usefulness. A modern expression derives from this parable: the white elephant. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has prided itself on being a leader in healthcare. It is the largest healthcare system in the US, implemented the first electronic medical record, and more than 70 percent of all US doctors have received training in the VA healthcare system (2). This year the VA is celebrating the 70th anniversary of its partnership with US medical schools. Beginning in 1946, the VA partnered ...
ISSN:2160-6773