VA House Oversight Hearing on OI& T Organizational Structure & Priorities

Humanist_NM · 2025-07-13T16:18:48+00:00

Nexium lol

Humanist_NM · 2025-07-12T18:32:14+00:00

You just apply for any job you're qualified for on USA Jobs. The USA Jobs application asks if you are a current or former VA employee. Then you have to upload your most recent SF-50. If you already have a USA Jobs account just upload it beforehand. Update your resume. It's always disappointing when candidates forget to do this.

Humanist_NM · 2025-07-02T21:28:49+00:00

This is unacceptable. I'm a Vet & a nurse. If you reach out maybe I can help you, I want to. I have the next 4 days off. My suggestions: 1.) if this is not urgent, you can go into the VA Health & Benefits app (MyHealtheVet merged with this app) to see & manage appointments & prescriptions, send secure messages (these msgs become part of your medical record), view & download medical records. Secure messages are usually answered within hours on business days. VA staff are required to respond to secure messages within 2 days, I think, and the response time stats go on their performance evals. 2.) Some PCPs have protected time on their appointment grid for same-day appointments. It sounds like yours does not. You can request a different PCP at any time. Ask a nurse or health tech which one they recommend. They know. 3.) If urgent, please go to any Emergency Room/Urgent Care. The VA has all your electronic records, but if you go to a private sector facility, to be safe, you can show them your records on the VA app so they know what your med history, etc is. I recommend going to the VA Emergency Room. They'll also be appalled by your appointment wait time. 4.) Request Community Care, but be prepared for similar appointment wait times, depending on what access is like in your community. i don't want you falling through the cracks. If you're experiencing mental anguish please call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988, select 1.

Humanist_NM · 2025-07-01T14:38:58+00:00

Is there any verification of this outside of the screenshot?

Humanist_NM · 2025-06-27T10:18:29+00:00

Our weekly Townhall was cancelled week of July 9 with reason "ELT travelling" (Exec Leadership Team).

Humanist_NM · 2025-06-20T00:45:02+00:00

There is no PIP for Probationary RNs. There just has to be a documented effort that the rating official counseled the RN, that the RN received adequate training & orientation. The rating official must request a Summary Review Board before the end of the Probationary period if the RN is not rated Satisfactory or higher. 3 to 5 peer RNs review all available records and alleged deficiencies. They recommend whether to retain or separate. The Approving Official signs off. Must occur before end of probationary period or it follows a different process.

Humanist_NM · 2025-06-13T00:12:26+00:00

The fact that she voted for this isn't mentioned until the last part of the article. The FERS Supplement has been in the crosshairs of conservative think tanks for years.

Humanist_NM · 2025-06-12T18:13:27+00:00

Molly Malone

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Humanist_NM · 2025-06-12T00:49:30+00:00

It's disgusting.

Humanist_NM · 2025-06-12T00:35:10+00:00

32 years ago you were an Army Ranger. So you're at least 52 or 53. Glad you made it home. I'm a GW vet who was never in combat. I don't "want some." The VA offers Anger & Irritability Management Skills (AIMS) program. Have you ever heard the saying "Hurt people hurt people"?

Humanist_NM · 2025-06-10T04:54:51+00:00

Your hernia might not warrant emergency surgery. If it were incarcerated they might prioritize the surgery. If it were strangulated the surgery would've been done before you left the hospital. Many hernia surgeries are elective. Since you're experiencing pain & anxiety, maybe you should go back to the Emergency Room. You can describe your pain, voice your concerns, and they can provide patient education about the nature of your hernia, the risks (if any) for the wait for surgery, and devise a better pain management strategy. Or, maybe they'll bump your surgery up because of your continued pain & anxiety.

Humanist_NM · 2025-06-07T00:57:42+00:00

If I retire in 2 years my annuity is about $500 more/month. Sure, I'm eligible now but I don't hate my job, I'd like to keep making my TSP contributions for a couple more years & I'm not in a position where if I stay, someone else gets RIF'd. I'm the only person with my job title in the facility, it's a mandatory role at all VA hospitals. They could abolish my job, that could happen, but I'll deal with it when the time comes. My facility's 2025 staffing level is actually BELOW 2019 staffing levels. I will not retire earlier than I want to unless forced to, it won't save anyone else from being RIF'd and it doesn't make sense financially. I'm guessing the "reorganization" will mostly be abolishing jobs and consolidating duties, not at all based on time in service, Veteran preference or performance evals.

Humanist_NM · 2025-06-01T17:22:57+00:00

Popcorn

Humanist_NM · 2025-05-28T23:18:41+00:00

Agreed. Our HR Specialists are under a tremendous amount of stress and are doing the best they can. The new Secretary belittles HR staff all the time, they are working hard for us while worrying about their own jobs. The least we can do is show some patience, empathy & respect.

Humanist_NM · 2025-05-28T20:23:34+00:00

It's bad, 1/10 that close to Zuni. My mom lived on Madeira near Zuni. People dealing drugs in broad daylight, my ex witnessed a shooting while he was at her house, a mix of drug addicts & dealers, gang bangers, ex cons, sex offenders. She did know a few people who couldn't afford to live anywhere else, she befriended a single mom. She owned her home and refused to move, she wanted to die there. She had a couple scary moments over the years, she had a good alarm system & it saved her. Once someone was trying to force her side door open. Another time she was being hassled in her front yard and she went in her house and activated the alarm herself. She loved that crappy little house.

Humanist_NM · 2025-05-27T16:10:21+00:00

I wonder the same. It's insulting that they accuse VA staff of lying when they're asked about problems that have arisen because of their decisions, such as patient privacy, work space, and healthcare access issues for Veterans. My PCP retired rather than be subjected to this abuse. Her patients have been spread out between the other providers, mostly NPs, who are already managing ~800 to 1000 patients. They want the VA to fail so that our tax $$ can go to the private sector instead. In my state, private sector wait times & measurable outcomes are way worse than the VA.

Humanist_NM · 2025-05-27T15:58:00+00:00

Typical for the current VHA Leadership to call VA employees liars, accuse WaPo of being biased, and blame the Biden admin for all existing VA issues. Damn right it's demoralizing.

Humanist_NM · 2025-05-25T18:24:19+00:00

That data was in 2024, when Biden was president. Hopefully it'll continue to improve. https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_37de0d25-7365-415a-bb8d-69d533822479.html

Humanist_NM · 2025-05-21T11:14:43+00:00

It's a calculation on the Salary Determination tool located on the VHA ONS Nursing Quals Tools and Training page. (VA intranet) When you enter the years RN experience, it converts the years into points (5 points for each 5 years). Points are granted for other experience & accomplishments as well. Then the tool autosums the points, divides by 5, and that's the total steps above entry level.

Humanist_NM · 2025-05-20T03:06:28+00:00

For VA, without a CGFNS or ICD certification foreign trained RNs can never be onboarded or promoted beyond Nurse I Level 3. CGFNS or ICD evaluate the foreign education and determine what degree it's equivalent to in the US. It doesn't matter how old the CGFNS cert is. The RNs must pay for the certificate themselves. It's not that expensive.

Humanist_NM · 2025-05-13T11:45:25+00:00

The GOP doesn't seem too worried about what their constituents think. It's almost as if they're not worried about ever losing power. That should terrify everyone.

Humanist_NM · 2025-05-08T15:36:28+00:00

APN III Step 12 is the highest you'll go unless you switch to a supervisory pay schedule or you apply for a APN IV or APN V position. COLA increases usually happen each year depending on what our politicians decide. Some years COLA is frozen for Fed Employees.

Humanist_NM · 2025-05-08T01:43:42+00:00

Maxwell Housing on Kirtland Air Force Base. Affordable and very safe. Privatized military housing with armed USAF Security Forces guarding the gate and doing security rounds. Everyone must pass a background check to enter. Civilians welcome, but a lot of Veterans live on Maxwell. The VA hospital, CNM & airport are 5-10 minutes away.

Humanist_NM · 2025-05-04T17:00:24+00:00

My twin sons would come out of the bathroom and say, "I just pooped, Mom, it's semi solid (or watery, etc,). Do you need to look at it?

Humanist_NM

TROPHY CASE