Hagan, Tillis talk problems at local VA hospitals
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- There are new problems emerging at the Fayetteville VA Hospital.
Sen. Kay Hagan talked with the ABC11 I-Team and ran down a list of changes she said "need to be made."
However, her opponent in the race for U.S. Senate, Thom Tillis, said her comments are "too little, too late."
"I am appalled and disgusted, and we are taking action," said Hagan.
Hagan was talking tough about the scandal at the VA and specific problems at the medical center in Fayetteville.
"One has to do with basic resources," said Hagan.
By basic resources, Hagan means staff -- doctors, for starters. The reason for that, according to the senator, is low pay. Then, there's the
problem of physical space.
"What I learned yesterday," said Hagan. "We've got to cut through the bureaucratic red tape to get that space as quickly as possible and get it online."
Hagan says Fayetteville suffers from a similar problem to the Durham VA.
The director there told ABC11 almost a month ago that they need a bigger footprint to meet the needs of a growing veteran population.
Another problem is old software. Specifically, they need software that handles scheduling. Recent government reports show wait times at the
Fayetteville VA were among the worst in the nation.
"The system, I'm told in Fayetteville, was installed in 2005, but the underlying program is a 1985 version," said Hagan. "That is horrible."
Hagan says she found out about a lot of the problems at the Fayetteville VA when she visited there Monday. Tuesday, Tillis is asking why she didn't know about them before.
"Talk is cheap, but, in reality, Kay Hagan has done nothing but allow the situation to get worse," said Tillis.
"We have helped over 4500 veterans in North Carolina," said Hagan.
Hagan fiercely defended her record with vets.
As a spokesperson pointed out, she was the only congressional delegate to visit the Fayetteville VA after a recent audit highlighted problems there.
"I take this seriously," said Hagan.
There are stories we've heard from dozens of veterans over the past two months that suggest, so far, that hasn't been enough.
