I don't write many diaries here on Kos. However, when I read this story in my local paper this morning, I knew I had to write this diary to let people know what happened to this vet, courtesy of the local VA. Maybe someone somewhere will read this diary and figure out what to do.
First, the link to the story:
Doctor appointments cost him VA job, vet says
Highlights on the flipside:
First, the lead paragraph:
An Iraq-Afghanistan veteran says he was forced out of his job at a Lexington Veterans Affairs Medical Center earlier this year for taking too much time off to see VA doctors for treatment of medical problems.
Norman Percifal was an Iraq war vet. He was injured when he had a seizure in the 100 degree heat, fell off his truck and injured his back and neck. Everyone knows that its hot there, but that just doesn't ever seem to be mentioned in the news. They really should mention the heat in Baghdad every day. Today (Saturday) the high will be 100. On Tuesday, the high will be 105. At least the lows aren't too bad... high 70's! I start to feel woozy when the temp hits 90.
Anyway, after months in a medical unit at Ft Bragg, he was discharged in 2005. Last December, he gets a job at the VA center here in Lexington (KY) in a prosthetics department. His employer knew of his problem and knew that he would be taking time off for appointments. Many of his appointments were in that building, but others were a few miles away at a different VA center.
According to Perciful, appointments were scheduled weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. -- the hours that VA clinics operated, but also the hours he worked. As a result, he had to request sick leave or annual leave to keep appointments.
His time off for appointments, short each time though they were, added up. He had used up all of his accrued sick leave as of Feb 20, the day he was fired, but he could have accrued more. He also could have worked later hours to make up for the lost time. Not acceptable to the VA.
It sure seems like the VA didn't like this vet taking time off for doctor's appointments, and started to look for a convenient excuse to fire him:
The doctor advised on Jan. 19 that Perciful should not lift weights greater than 10 pounds and should avoid driving. Records provided by Perciful also show that his supervisor contacted the doctor on Jan. 22, asking about Perciful's "capability to stand, bend, carry items ... Some of our equipment must be brought from the warehouse ... Need a statement from you."
Perciful said he was surprised by the requests because his job description made no mention of requirements for lifting or driving. He said things came to a head on Feb. 20, when his supervisor asked him to resign or be fired.
So, Percifal quit because he didn't think he could get unemployment if he was fired.
The paper asked various VA personnel about this case:
Asked about the case, Lexington VA spokeswoman Desti Stimes said, "I can assure you that we would not ask or encourage an employee to resign due to doctors' appointments."
She said the VA could not comment further unless Perciful signed a privacy release. But when Perciful contacted the VA's Mid South Healthcare Network in Nashville, which controlled the office in Lexington where he worked, he said he was told that the VA couldn't comment regardless of a signed release.
What is Perciful's medical condition right now?
Perciful also stresses that he has no complaints about his VA medical care, which he still receives. He continues to deal with pain in his back, neck, shoulders and elbows, and says he must decide soon whether to have surgery on his neck, which doctors have recommended. He's looking for another job.
I feel outraged that the VA would fire this guy. I feel that other kos readers will be outraged as well. I found two numbers in the phone book for the VA.
main number on Cooper drive where Perciful worked: 859-233-4511
number given for 'Public Affairs': 859-281-4814
Again, the first number is for the location where Perciful worked. The second number is (apparently) at the Leestown Rd VA center, but that number might be more relevant.
In a just world, this guy would be given an apology and his old job back.