As a totally disabled veteran, this agency has a lot to do with my life. They can turn me inside out and fill me with terror with just a simple letter stating they are reveiwing my status.
They can do this with impunity, and there is no recourse, you must appear for the exams, and pray they don't find cause to reduce your award level, it gets harder for them to do once you reach the age of 55, or if you have been service connected for ten years or more. Then they can still do it, but the rules make it much harder for them to get away with it. I am 53 and have been service connected since Dec 2003, so I am still vulnerable. Mail with the return address of 1801 Assembly Street, Columbia SC has been known to make me break out in cold sweats.
So far the veterans community has been pleased with what we have seen, with the appointment of General Eric Shinseki as the new VA Secretary, he is a soldiers soldier, and hopefully he will be committed to implementing President Obama's ideas into this large agency.
The duputy chosen as his right hand is W. SCOTT GOULD as the Deputy Veterans Administration Secdretary, the number two man in charge. He also comes from a military background, rather than the revolving door of the QTC company of the last Secretary's of the VA.
Here is the QTC Company website
Overview
Who We Are
QTC is currently the largest private provider of government-outsourced occupational health and disability examination services in the nation.
We employ more than 600 experienced clinical, operational, and corporate associates located within 42 company-owned and government-based facilities across the nation.
We also manage an international provider network to ensure program coverage and convenience to all our clients and examinees.
How We Excel
In addition to our experienced people and proven processes, our more than 25-year history has been marked by a focus on delivering technology-driven solutions for our customers.
Leadership Team
Executive Chairman
Anthony Principi
Anthony J. Principi's executive experience and familiarity with health care service and benefit programs make him uniquely qualified to lead QTC's future initiatives. He was QTC's former president of Medical Services, and left only after being appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as the fourth Secretary of Veterans Affairs - the nation's second largest government program with a $64 billion budget and 230,000 employees. Mr. Principi is a combat-decorated veteran, having graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. He first saw active duty aboard the destroyer, USS Joseph P. Kennedy, and later commanded a River Patrol Unit in Vietnam's Mekong Delta. Mr. Principi earned his Juris Doctor degree from Seton Hall University and then transitioned to the United States Navy's Judge Advocate General Corps. He has worked on several national policy issues, and has since maintained various federal-level government positions including: Counsel to the Chairman on the Senate Armed Services Committee; Republican Chief Counsel and Staff Director of both the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs and the Senate Committee on Armed Services; Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs during the administration of President George H.W. Bush; and, most recently, Chairman of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission. Mr. Principi also chaired the Federal Quality Institute, and the Commission on Service members and Veterans Transition Assistance. He later served the private sector as a partner in the San Diego, CA, law firm of Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scrips; and Senior Vice President of Lockheed Martin IMS.
Wasn't that nice that Secretary Pricipi was able to leave the VA in Jan 2005 to make room for the new Secretary of the VA R. James Nicholson friend and past RNC Chairman when President Bush was elected in Nov 2000, he was rewarded as Ambassador to the Holy See, in later 2004, I see where his wife was bored with life in Rome, and to make room for him in DC, Secretary Principi was asked to resign.
Secretary Nicholson's tenure as Secretary of the VA is one of the worst in history.
Then we got Secretary James Peake, another QTC employee.
Here is a list of their clients you will notice the VA is at the head of the list as it is probably their largest government contract.
Clients
Who We Serve
QTC delivers services to customers in the private sectors; federal, state, and local government agencies; as well as the individuals (examinees) they serve.
Sample Clients
US Department of Veterans Affairs
US Department of Labor
Boston
Denver
Philadelphia
San Francisco
Kansas City
Dallas
US Department of Health and Human Services, Federal Occupational Health
Department of Agriculture
Department of Commerce
Department of Defense
Department of Energy
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Justice
Department of Interior
Department of Transportation
National Guard
Center for Disease Control
Federal Air Marshal
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Transportation Safety Administration
Food and Drug Administration
Environmental Protection Agency
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
And more
US Railroad Retirement Board
QTC Awarded Contract to Administer VA C&P Exams to Veterans
Diamond Bar, CA - March 29, 2007 - QTC Medical Services, Inc. announced the award of the Department of Veterans Affairs contract to administer Compensation and Pension (C&P) disability examinations to veterans living in Louisiana and New Mexico. The counties served in Louisiana are Orleans and Rapides while counties in New Mexico include Bernalillo, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Taos, Rio Arriba, San Juan, Chaves, and Eddy. This is a two year contract with over 8,000 exam referrals per contract year.
This is the second contract of this nature to be awarded to QTC. In 1998, QTC was the first private company to be awarded the contract to administer compensation and pension (C&P) disability exams on behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2003, QTC was re-awarded the contract that covers ten VA Regional Offices: Los Angeles, CA, San Diego, CA, Salt Lake City, UT, Seattle, WA, Houston, TX, Muskogee, OK, Atlanta, GA, Boston, MA, Roanoke, VA, and Winston-Salem, NC. The contract also encompasses examinations for service members who are seeking benefits delivery at discharge (BDD) exams and shared exams for VA and DoD at 36 military installations. BDD exams are administered when active duty members want to file a claim for VA benefits prior to their separation/retirement. VA and DoD’s shared exams involve active duty members requiring both a BDD exam and a DoD separation exam.
"This kind of an award is based, not only on being price competitive, but most importantly on the tremendous strength of QTC's quality performance in a very demanding environment," said Chief Operating Officer, Dr. James Peake. "This is where we assure quality and timely examinations with a focus on customer service for America's heroes - in this case our veterans."
ABOUT QTC - Founded in 1981, QTC is the nation's largest private provider of medical examinations and disability evaluations serving the Veterans of our military, more than 50 Federal Agencies, and with major clients in the Department of Labor, Social Security sector and State programs. QTC is a pioneer in the development and implementation of software technology to improve the efficiency of conducting and managing disability evaluations. www.qtcm.com
Secretary Shinseki Announces Choice for Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
January 30, 2009
WASHINGTON – Today, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki praised President Barack Obama’s intent to nominate W. Scott Gould as next Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Gould is currently vice president for public sector strategy at IBM Global Business Services and a former intelligence officer in the naval reserve. He has public service experience at both the departments of Commerce and Treasury.
Shinseki said, "Scott and I share a reverence for those who have served in uniform. He is fully committed to fulfilling President Obama’s vision and my goals for transforming the Department of Veterans Affairs into a 21st Century organization, and he understands the fundamentals that will drive that transformation: Veteran-centric, results-oriented and forward looking."
Shinseki further said that Gould possesses a unique and wide-ranging set of skills in information technologies, acquisition, budget, human resources and leading the modernization of large, complex organizations. "Scott’s expertise in these areas, as well as his broad experience in the public sector, the private sector and the military, will prove invaluable for better serving our Veterans," Shinseki added.
Gould worked in the public sector as the chief financial officer and assistant secretary for administration at the Commerce Department and deputy assistant secretary for finance and management at the Treasury Department from 1994 to 1999. As a White House Fellow, he worked at the Export-Import Bank of the United States and in the Office of the White House Chief of Staff.
Prior to his job at IBM, he was chief executive officer of The O’Gara Company, a strategic advisory and investment services firm, and chief operating officer of Exolve, a technology services company.
As a naval reservist, Gould served at sea aboard the guided missile destroyer Richard E. Byrd and as assistant professor of naval science at Rochester University. He was recalled to active duty for both Operation Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom as a naval intelligence reservist.
During President Obama’s campaign and after his election, Gould was co-chair of the National Veterans Policy Team, Obama for America, and co-chair of the Veterans Agency Review Team for the Presidential Transition Team.
A fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, Gould is a former member of the National Security Agency’s Technical Advisory Group and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Overseers. He has been awarded the Department of Commerce Medal, the Treasury Medal and the Navy Meritorious Service Medal and is coauthor of The People Factor: Strengthening America by Investing in the Public Service. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from Cornell University and a masters in business administration and a doctorate in education from the University of Rochester. Gould is married to Michèle A. Flournoy, and they have three children: Alec, Victoria and Aidan
Obama names pick for VA deputy
Staff report
Posted : Friday Jan 30, 2009 16:42:22 EST
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki praised President Barack Obama’s intent to nominate Scott Gould as next deputy secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Gould is vice president for public sector strategy at IBM Global Business Services and a former intelligence officer in the naval reserve. He has also worked at the Commerce and Treasury departments.
Gould "is fully committed to fulfilling President Obama’s vision and my goals for transforming the Department of Veterans Affairs into a 21st century organization," Shinseki said. "He understands the fundamentals that will drive that transformation: veteran-centric, results-oriented and forward looking."
Gould worked in the public sector as the chief financial officer and assistant secretary for administration at the Commerce Department, and as deputy assistant secretary for finance and management at the Treasury Department from 1994 to 1999.
As a naval reservist, Gould served at sea aboard the guided missile destroyer Richard E. Byrd and as assistant professor of naval science at Rochester University. He was recalled to active duty for operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom as a naval intelligence reservist.
During Obama’s campaign and after his election, Gould was co-chair of the National Veterans Policy Team, Obama for America, and co-chair of the Veterans Agency Review Team for the Presidential Transition Team.
Potential VA benefits chief has new ideas
A Harvard University researcher with some radical ideas about how to reduce the backlog of veterans disability claims appears to be in line to head the Veterans Benefits Administration.
Linda Blimes, a public policy lecturer and research at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, wants the Department of Veterans Affairs to operate like the Internal Revenue Service — on an honor system that trusts veterans claiming service-connected disabilities. All veterans claims would be approved as soon as they are filed, with a random audit conducted to "weed out and deter fraudulent claims," Blimes told the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee in testimony in 2008.
Ninety percent of veterans disability claims end up being paid after they make it through the system, she said — proof, she said, that most veterans are asking only for what they deserve.
We now have a top team at the head of the VA, now can we get the Benefits Director that we deserve DR Linda Blimes, she will fix the 800,000 claims backlog that is years if not decades old. She is just what the doctor ordered.
Is it too much to believe that we are going to finally get a leadership team at the Veteran Administration and that we may not have to live in fear whenever we get letters from the VA any longer?