TAMPA — Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald says he knows firsthand the attraction Florida has for veterans.
“Florida is a veteran magnet,” said McDonald, speaking to reporters after touring VA facilities in St. Petersburg and Tampa. “I know that because I am one of the ones who’s been magnetized.”
An Army veteran, McDonald purchased a home in Orlando and was planning to retire after serving as president and chief executive officer of Proctor & Gamble. But then President Barack Obama called, asking him to take over the troubled VA, beset by scandals ranging from deaths from delayed treatment to veterans waiting in some cases years to have their benefits claims processed.
Since taking over on July 30, McDonald has made transparency and improving services for veterans his goals. Wednesday afternoon, in the lobby of the Michael Bilirakis Spinal Cord Injury Center at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, he ticked off improvements, locally and nationally.
He said the nationwide backlog of disability claims older than 125 days has been reduced by 57 percent.
Florida veterans, he said, are now waiting an average of 88 fewer days than in February 2013 for a decision on their claim, which determines how much compensation they receive for their service-connected injuries.
“It is down to 162 days,” he said. “We’ve got to get that even lower.”
He also lauded efforts by the VA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to reduce the number of homeless veterans, a White House priority.
Another step in the right direction, said McDonald, is a partnership with the University of South Florida’s College of Medicine to help develop doctors and nurses, which are critically needed in the system, particularly in the area of helping traumatic brain injury patients.
McDonald also said he has reached out to 302,000 veterans nationwide to get them into care, including 2,470 in the Tampa area. He said the VA has spent nearly $1.7 million in the area to help veterans get community medical care so they don’t have to wait to get treatment at a VA facility.
Before his press conference, McDonald met with the St. Vincent DePaul Society of St. Petersburg, which is receiving a $7.5 million grant to serve 450 veterans in Pinellas and Pasco counties. He also met with staff at the St. Petersburg Regional Office, the nation’s busiest claims processing office, and later with staff and patients at Haley, and U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Kathy Castor and Dennis Ross.
As he talked about meeting the patients, he became emotional as he recalled meeting one severely wounded veteran, walking with an exoskeleton, an external device assisting his mobility.
“The most remarkable thing was that while he loved being able to walk, the thing that mattered most was being able to look people in the eyes again,” said McDonald.
McDonald also talked about his efforts to reach out to veterans, giving out his personal cell phone number and his work email address.
The efforts impressed U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller. The Panhandle Republican and chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee has been one of the VA’s harshest critics.
Accompanying McDonald during the Haley tour, Miller said he was here “because Bob McDonald gets it. He came on board at a time when the VA was going through probably its worst crisis ever.”
McDonald is “a secretary who is ready to actually get in the trenches, talk with individuals on the front lines and not stay ensconced in the central office in Washington D.C.”
McDonald’s Tampa Bay visit is part of a nationwide trip in which he will visit about 35 facilities. He will be in Orlando on Thursday.
The VA’s Office of Inspector General is investigating 93 VA medical facilities, trying to see if they manipulated waiting list information, McDonald said. Inspectors visited Haley in May, but officials would not comment on whether Haley is one of the facilities under investigation.
McDonald said he did not know whether Haley is a target but said he welcomes inspections. McDonald said he is anxious for the inspectors to complete their work so he can begin whatever disciplinary process is required.
McDonald promised to act swiftly to remove employees who are violating the VA’s core values and said he won’t tolerate employees being coerced.
The St. Petersburg Regional Office is currently the subject of a Federal Labor Relations Authority probe into allegations it fired the vice president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 1594 in retaliation for issuing a scathing report about office operations. The union also complained that management then installed a camera, since removed, outside the union office after the fired union official testified before Congress.
“Very simply, we do not tolerate retaliation,” said McDonald, adding that he was unable to comment about specific situations. “In fact, I celebrate whistle-blowers. I want every employee to be a whistle-blower. We can’t improve unless everyone is a whistle-blower.”
Union president Valorie Reilly gave McDonald kudos for his efforts, saying he is aware of the problems at the regional office.
“He clearly wants to talk directly to employees and is no doubt sincere in his wish to turn the VA around and rebuild trust,” Reilly said.
PHOTO: Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald, center, speaks as Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Jeff Miller, far left, Director of James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital Kathleen Fogarty, second from left, and Director of the St. Pete VA Regional Office Kerrie Witty, far right, listen during a news conference at the James A. Haley Veteran’s Hospital Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014 in Tampa. McDonald spoke to members of the media after touring the facility. CHRIS URSO/STAFF