Disney Comment Leaves VA Secretary Facing Criticism and Puns Over Veterans’ Wait Times

Monday wasn’t the first time in recent months that Veterans Affairs officials have downplayed lingering problems with Veterans’ wait times to get medical care, and it wasn’t the first time they’ve invoked Disney as a model company for the federal bureaucracy. But the combination of the two by VA Secretary Bob McDonald this week touched off a firestorm of frustration and ridicule from department critics, many of whom appear to be sharpening their attacks for the fall elections. During a Christian Science Monitor press event on Monday, McDonald responded to ongoing attacks about how VA leaders measure patient wait times, saying the focus on specific numbers overshadows what should be the larger goal. “What data do you get from Cleveland Clinic or Kaiser Permanente to compare with our data?” he asked. “To me, personally, the days to an appointment are really not what we should be measuring. What we should be measuring is a veterans’ satisfaction. “What really counts is how the Veteran feels about their encounter with the VA. When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? What’s important is what your satisfaction is with the experience. What I would like to move to eventually is that kind of measure.”

Source/more: Military Times

David Wingate is an elder law attorney at the Elder Law Office of David Wingate, LLC. The elder law office services clients with powers of attorneys, living wills, Wills, Trusts, Medicaid and asset protection. The Elder Law office has locations in Frederick and Montgomery Counties, Maryland.