VETERANS HEADS UP!!!! HEADS UP!!!! HEADS UP !!!!


DO YOU KNOW,
If you are or have received services of any type in the Mental Hygiene Clinic, the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center and ALL of it's satelite Clinics is IDENTIFYING AND LABELING YOU as a Veteran who is receiving those services and informing ALL PERSONNEL IN EVERY ONE OF YOUR CLINICS AND APPOINTMENTS regardless what they tell you about your RIGHTS to Privacy.

HOW:
On ALL Daily Appointment Lists for EACH Clinic printed by the computer to inform clinics of who will be seen on any given day , UNDERNEATH the line printed with your name and the time of your appointment a separate lines is printed that appears like

MHTP: XXXXXXXXXX / XXXXXXXXX MMDDYY

The MHTP stands for Mental Hygiene Treatment Program,

The next shows your Doctor or Treatment Supervisor or Individual responsible for your follow-up,

And the next indicates the date of your next SCHEDULED Appointment.

LOOK FOR YOURSELF THE NEXT TIME YOU CHECK IN TO ANY CLINIC FOR ANY REASON. IT’S DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH YOUR NAME !!

It doesn't matter what treatment you are receiving. Social Services, psychological services, psychiatric services, groups etc, or any other service by your request or otherwise.

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We have been informed by a Veteran that this violation was reported over a year and a half ago to an Administrator within the Wilkes-Barre network and a demand was made in the name of ALL Veterans to cease and desist from this practice but nothing has changed.
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Why is it necessary for the clerks and assisting personnel of every clinic you visit to know that you are in some form of 'Mental Hygiene Treatment Program'?

Why is it necessary for EVERY Clinician to know about your private medical affairs every time you visit ANY Clinic at any of the Wilkes-Barre Network facilities?

Why do they feel it's necessary to label you and identify you with that type of private and confidential information.

Why do they choose to identify only THAT Clinic to all other treatment personnel? Whatever you might imagine is the reason is most probably the reason.

Maybe they want to be able to dispute anything you have to say by referring back to the fact that you are in a Mental Hygiene Program'

Maybe they want to be able to keep a 'special' eye out in case you get upset or frustrated while receiving medical treatment so they can direct others in the clinic as to who to call if 'they' think there's a problem with YOU!

Maybe they want to establish some sort of custodial relationship over your life without ever telling you what they're doing. Sort of like,'who's really in charge of you'.

Maybe they want to be able to not take your complaints as serious as you would want them to and in fact if you ever have complained to a doctor about a medical condition, were you satisfied by the response you received or did you perhaps feel that the Doctor didn't take your complaint to heart as you would have wanted ?


The list of maybes is endless.

The impact on your medical care and treatment can be disasterous. It has far reaching complications and can influence decisions and judgements made by Staff behind your back and without ever informing you.

If you want to prove this little piece of information for yourself, demand to see YOUR NAME on a Daily Appointment Listing at one of the clinics you visit. You have the right under the US Privacy Act to request and see YOUR NAME.

You do NOT have the right to see the entire list or anyone else's name, but to see YOUR OWN Name is your right.

If they refuse or try to hide it from you by saying that it's only for internal use, then Demand Under the Freedom of Information Act to see YOUR NAME as it appears on the list and don't stop insisting until they show you your name.

Then, file an incident report with this Agency and tell us who denied you, their postion and clinic and what they did when you persisted with your demand.

The next step for all US Veterans is to join together in protest and perhaps go Class Action against them for violating our rights under the US Privacy Act.

What ELSE are they doing in the name of OUR rights to Privacy?

IMPORTANT!!!!!
We have no idea if the practice exists and is ongoing in other VA Regions. WE NEED YOUR HELP. WE NEED YOU TO FIND OUT AND REPORT TO US IF IT EXISTS ALL OVER THE NATION. WE CAN"T TELL ALL VETERANS IF WE DON"T KNOW WHAT"S HAPPENING OUT THERE
WE NEED YOUR REPORTS!!!!!!!!!


And don't forget, if you want to find out what they are really saying about you for the record, when was the last time you requested a copy of all your out-patient notes and read what they REALLY wrote.

DO IT TODAY !!!!! IT’S YOUR FILE, IT’S YOUR FUTURE!!!

VAinfo has received multiple attacks by members of the VA Management on it's use of the VA Seal. It appears they think the VA owns the rights to the American Eagle and the American Flag. This is NOT the case and we are in the process of publishing the communication we received from the Va concerning this matter.

Please check back soon to see the full story.

We try to make it clear that we are NOT a KUDOS site. If your name is published here it's usually not to receive compliments. We do however understand that from time to time a Veteran may report something to us that really disturbs other people to learn about.

The following message was received from a fellow employee of Dr. Chathams' at the Allentown VOPC. We would not normally publish such an item because it is not from a fellow patient of the good Doctor but rather just from a fellow employee with no personal experience whatsoever in the treatment or services administered by the Doctor in question.

We decided to print his email anyway as a gesture to show that over and above everything else, our true agenda here is to be as fair as humanly possible. Right or wrong!

Following his message, you will see our reply to him.

The message was received from Randy Ruth, a clerical employee at the Allentown PA VA Outpatient Clinic. He has givin us permission to identify him for the purpose of publishing his message.


>>>>> message received
I JUST READ YOUR REPORT ON DR CHATHAM , AND I THINK IT IS APPALLING. I AM A VETERAN,AND AN EMPLOYEE OF THE VA. SHE DOES A CREDIBLE JOB AND A CARING DOCTOR. BEING A VETERAN I MAKE SURE THINGS ARE DONE RIGHT, ALL THE VETERANS THAT COME IN HAVE BEEN HAPPY WITH THE CARE AND TREATMENT THEY HAVE RECEIVED, THE PERSON THAT WROTE THIS I WISH WOULD COME FORWARD AND FIND OUT WHAT THE REAL PROBLEM IS INSTEAD OF BASHING ONE OF OUR PHYSICIANS. I HAVE BEEN WORKING HERE FOR MANY YEARS, AND I CAN TELL YOU NOBODY HAS EVER COMPLAINED ABOUT THE CARE THEY HAVE RECEIVED. >>>>>> end of message



>>>>> our email reply
Believe it or nor Sir, some people DO complain. It all depends on what the problem is and what the system or the staff is willing to do to resolve it.

I too am a veteran and I receieve my medical care from the VA and for the most part I think I receive
excellent care in general. But there are a great number of problems within the system. If you are honest about it you know they exist. That is why the site was created. You and I must be a couple of more fortunate veterans who are able to take charge of their own health affairs and stay on top of things. But what about the vets who can't do that and have to trust the system. Too many of them fall between the cracks and you know it. There are alot of just plain lazy people in the government or people who don't care what they do for a paycheck. Those are the people this site seeks to weed out.

I'm happy to hear you feel that way about Dr. Chatham. That is certainly your opinion. Other veterans may have other opinions. If you wish I will be glad to publish your letter in response to the article. Please let us know. And tell us if we can or cannot identify you personally.

Thanks for your interest.


>>>>>>>>>>> end of our email reply

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