VA Medical Center Geriatrics

Reviews 5

MA

Mackojr

The Kansas City VA is one of the best VA facilities Ive seen with 2 exception. The LAB and Some of the Assistants. The LAB: Full of digruntle people who take smoke breaks every 30 minutes. I myself am a smoker and would be fired from my job if i took smoke breaks 30 minutes in to my shift. They cleary dont give a damn about the 40 people waiting. Honstly, they genuinly seem to be bothered by doing their jobs. I have made several complaints about this to patient advocate and nothing has changed. The Assistants: In my experience they seem bothered to be destracted from their girl talk. Theyre more interested in gossip than helping Veterans. I ahve seen Doctors rip in to their assistant for the lazy work ethic they show. By a lot of them you are treated like you owe them something for doing their freaking jobs. Ive researched where the Assistants are hired from and 90% of them are part of the "Welfare to Work" program. Finding this out wasnt the least bit surprising. Why the Fed Gov. would hire people who would rather sit on the couch watching Oprah all day is a good idea is beyond me. Its typical liberal Gov policy to make them look like they care. Other than those 2 things the Kansas City VA has some of the best Doctors & Nursing staff in the city. The Doctors & Nurses really care about the Veterans and always go the extra mile. These are people who could make triple the $ in the private sector but choose to help Veterans for pennies compared to what they could be making. Because of the great Doctors & Nurses I give this VA a 4 out of 5 stars. If theyd get better assistants and Lab Techs theyd be getting a 5 out of 5 stars.

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DI

Dio104

The staff is rude and uncaring. The medical lab techs are the worst Ive ever seen. The last time I was there a lab tech intentionally bruised my arm while taking blood. I am not kidding. I had been to the lab earlier in the day for an ECG. When the doctor gave me a lab slip for blood work, the tech told me I should have taken care of it the first time I was there, despite my informing her that I had just gotten it. She then drew my blood without releasing the rubber tube, resulting in a large bruise. When I had an overnight heart monitor removed, the techs just ripped the tape and probes off. They didnt even speak to me. My doctor never documents my shoulder pain or headaches. She does try to put me on statins, even though my cholesterol is in the normal range. She also tries to put me on antidepressants. She ordered a heart scan and ten months later I still havent been told the results. Do yourself a favor and use civilian medical services. My wife got insurance under the Affordable Care Act and she gets a lot better care than I do. While the lip service is there, the care and respect are absent. If you have to use the VA, expect rude treatment and painful lab tests. If youre lucky, your doctor will listen to you and try to address your issues, but odds are not in your favor. I cant wait to get market health insurance. Im really afraid of this medical center, especially if I have to have some kind of surgery. I only go enough to maintain my medications.

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SH

Shawn Schliessmann

I realize that there are so many veterans trying to use this hospital that it backs up appointments. However, if you have to reschedule, it doesnt need to be a "punishment" and make you wait 3 extra months for something that takes 15 min to do. Its an old building, so it will not be like an a newer Olathe medical center, so that I can understand about it being described by other reviewers as such. The parking needs to be addressed, seems that the staff shares the same parking as the patients (This I was told by a nurse), and when it takes 30 minutes to find an open spot, that is too much. For severe back pain, rather than muscle relaxers or some other pain meds that regular doctors prescribe like free candy, I was sent a jumbo sized bottle of 800mg ibuprofen to take up to three times a day, you know, the same substance that destroyers your stomach lining. Thats just Insane! So, besides that even the most basic dental care is ONLY available for 100% disabled vets, I just say use the VA only if you have to. So many of us were promised "Total medical care for life" when we signed up for military duty, and we put our lives on the line believing in those benefits would be there if we needed them. Its very sad that most of us were lied to.

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DA

David Weddle

I always get in there FAST, because I live close. The nurses are great, my PAC team nurses are great. SOME of them are good. The people that take the labs, just certain ones are good. It would be hard to find someones veins.. boy I dont think I could do it. The VA has a very machine like quality to it. Sometimes, you got to really raise H*ll to get some attention. BUT- seeing some of the other hospitals, they are just as bad. I think they are very hard working people. My Doctor has 15,000 patients, all told. The nurses, doctors, and surgeons work LONG 14 hour days. The social services are inept. I had to go to a SS lawyer, for instance, because of their lack of knowledge. Their Billing Department can be a nightmare. VERY "out of it" very bureaucratic. I had rotator cuff surgery there, after 3 years the shoulder still bothers me. Medical care is very dicey, even in these modern times. Its the ADMIN side that is terrible at that Hospital. It is AWFUL. Billing errors, WATCH OUT! Eligibility..BACK CHECK, because they will often be wrong. I like them though, and I appreciate their efforts. I weigh 266lbs and am 61"..I couldnt fit into the MRI machine, so some of their stuff is not the best.

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BI

Billy the Substitute Teacher

I had to change my Primary doctor: Avan Solomon. at 4251 Northern Ave. This doctor is a bad doctor by impression based by how she treated talking to me. First, I got the impression that she has a problem with "men" in general by how she concerned with a new patient. I had just going through a STROKE and my speech was/is not very good. She acted as if there was something taking her time beside addressing the problems of my health concerns. After assessing her lack of professionalism, I got the impression that she only works at the VA as a means of just to collect a pay check. She is located at the "HONOR ANNEX". It is not busy there and the building is almost empty. Many fewer patients go there compared to the main hospital. There was no reason why she treated me as if she was interrupting her. I hope the person avoids having her as a doctor. The best thing that can happen is for her to be retired and let another person perform her job as a real doctor. After changing her as being my doctor, I had to see another doctor for a two months to wait, (per the bureaucratic VA guidance) when a person needs to change a doctor. My advice, when you are first assigned to a doctor, stay away from Dr. Solomon.

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