It has been tough trying to pick up the pieces and also try to do what Jeffrey wanted me to continue. He wants me to bring the VA down, particularly the Florida VA, which is going to be nigh on to impossible. One of our biggest complaints was the disparity between the different hospitals insofar as Special Mode Transportation is concerned. Special Mode Transportation was designed to transport Veterans to and from their VA appointments for those in a position that they were unable to transport themselves due to extenuating medical circumstances.
As you will see in the letter I personally, by appointment, delivered to the head of the Villages Administration one of the clinics we have had troubles with. It was my first major trip on the titanium broom since Jeffrey's death, and I delivered the first sever blow to the system. Here is the letter I hand delivered:
"14 April 2015
Dear Ms. Norman:
I would like to thank you for taking the time to sit down with me and discuss some issues that I am having with your facility. Some things are good, some things, not so good.
1. I would like you to know that you have a young man by the name of Phillip, who answers the phone systems here at the Villages, and what a joy it is to hear his voice. He is like a ray of sunshine and he needs to be commended for his wonderful attitude. It is so refreshing to be treated like a human being, instead of being treated/talked about like we vets are the scum of the earth. I would highly encourage you to put this young man in some type of training position so that he may train other customer service employees.
2. There is another issue that needs to be addressed that I have been having problems with. Special Mode Transportation, more specifically – Mr. Robert Davis. I have to start with my late husband’s situation; which plays directly in with mine.
We started trying to get Jeffrey Special Mode Transportation before I had yet another surgery because we knew it was going to be a problem getting him to and from his VA appointments both at the Villages and in Gainesville. Another veteran had told us about Special Mode Transportation and that we should put Jeffrey in for it. Up until that time, we had never even heard about it.
In November 2013. I had just had surgery in which a Taylor Spatial Frame had been put on my right lower leg and foot in hopes that it would finally heal the 5th metatarsal which has been broken since 2010. I was approved for Special Mode Transportation in December 2013 with no problems. However; since that time it has been an uphill battle. I had to become the primary driver since Jeffrey started having bits and pieces amputated – in 2011. I put my own health on the back burner to take care of him. I had put off my surgeries I had needed until we thought Jeffrey would be in a position to help take care of me. We knew that I’d literally be off my feet for months, we just didn’t realize how many months. It turned out to be far more challenging than we anticipated.
On 4 October 2013, I physically went to the Transportation department and inquired about Special Mode Transportation for Jeffrey. I filled out the paperwork and a few minutes later I was told by Mr. Davis that he was not qualified “because he was only blind.” I was stunned, and then I got mad. I asked the question “So, do you want me to let Jeffrey drive to his appointments?” I asked what was meant by “he was only blind?” and I was told that he had to be in a wheelchair. I stated that Jeffrey had a manual wheelchair (Gainesville would never approve a power wheelchair or scooter for Jeffrey – because he was BLIND!!).
The next excuse, and that is all it can be considered is an excuse, was Jeffrey had to meet the “Means Test.” I informed him that Jeffrey no longer had to meet a “Means Test” because he was Catastrophically Disabled, and we had that in writing. I was told that this didn’t apply to Special Mode Transportation; he still had to qualify under the Means Test. I told him that I wanted to see the regulation(s) that stated that and I wanted to see the regulation(s) that governed Special Mode Transportation. I was told “he would have to look them up and give them to me – later.”
While we were at the Villages for another appointment, we went by the Transportation office to get a copy of the regulation(s) governing Special Mode Transportation. I am handed a paper by Mr. Davis in which he stated “Here it is.” I looked at it and stated “This is only a policy letter, where is the regulation(s)?” He told me that this (policy letter) is what we go by. Again, we get into a heated discussion regarding the “Means Test.” Then Mr. Davis stated that Jeffrey was not qualified for Special Mode Transportation “Because he could transfer from a wheelchair into the seat of a vehicle.”
Why all the different answers? None of them had any substance to them. It is as if Mr. Davis was going to come up with any excuse he could to DENY Jeffrey Special Mode Transportation, and how many other Blind or Legally Blind Veterans has he done the same thing to? For the record, never once did we receive a letter of denial for Special Mode Transportation for Jeffrey. It is my understanding that it is a requirement, just as it is a requirement to send a letter when one is approved.
Fast forward to my current situation.
Following are secure messages that have gone back and forth with my team:
Sent: 06/13/2014 XX:XX PM
From: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
To: BYARD, LINDA Subject: General Inquiry
Hi Linda: I was placing your special travel request and they need to know:
-in your home life, how do you get to your outside dr's appts?
- how do you get to the store, etc...?
-if you have a transportation system set up for those types of things, why can't you use them to get here?
Please reply..
XXXX XXXXX RN
Sent: 06/16/2014 XX:XX PM
From: BYARD, LINDA
To: ** XXXXXVillages_XXXXXXX Subject: General Inquiry
Ms. XXXX, Who, exactly, is "they?" I know you mean Transportation, but who in transportation? It is none of their business how I get to my outside doctor's appointments, the store, etc.
I believe I am entitled to Special Mode Transportation for my VA appointments and should not have to depend on others to get me there.
06/18/2014 07:51 AM
From: XXXXXXXXXX
To: BYARD, LINDA
Message ID#: XXXXXXXXXX
Subject: General Inquiry
Hi Ms Byard: Special mode transportation is a service provided to severely physically permanently impaired non-wt bearing patients primarily. Situations such as yours are considered, though, temporarily, provided there is justification for it. We are requesting to please contact your physician so he can fax to us the status of your fracture, your limitations and the time frame involved so we can proceed to enter the consult ASAP. Our primary goal is to meet your needs, however, there are polices that we also must follow. Please let us have these documents ASAP so we can proceed. I hope you do not feel that we are not trying to help you, it just takes a little longer to get the information needed to place the consult. My apologies if that was the case.
Our fax # is 352-XXX-XXXX.
XXXX XXXXX RN
Ms. Norman, these questions/statements were made to my team by Mr. Davis. I am disgusted, number one, that he would even ask these questions and make some of these statements. Number two, I would defy you to show me anywhere it defines Special Mode Transportation as “Special mode transportation is a service provided to severely physically permanently impaired non-wt bearing patients primarily.” It is sickening to me that one person plays “God” when it comes to Special Mode Transportation.
My doctor put me in for Permanent Special Mode Transportation in January 2015. She was told by Mr. Davis stated that there was no such thing as “permanent” Special Mode Transportation. That certainly is not my understanding.
Last week I had the “pleasure” of dealing with Mr. Davis regarding getting transportation for my appointment. He made the comment that my situation is ‘temporary.’ We had all hoped that, but unfortunately that is not the case and I told him that this was now permanent. He stated “Nobody told me that. So, you no longer have a vehicle and you no longer drive then…” Who is he that he can over-ride a doctor’s request and what right does he have to make these grossly obnoxious comments? I have, begrudgingly, been approved for six months of Special Mode Transportation.
I have also heard through several anonymous sources that Mr. Davis has made some very inflammatory comments regarding my situation, to wit: “She is faking it” and “I saw her riding around in her dead husband’s wheelchair.” For the record, not only am I not faking it, Jeffrey and I had separate wheelchairs. I donated his wheelchair to another veteran that is in the exact same situation that Jeffrey was in. It certainly takes a lot of gall and intestinal fortitude to make the comments that have been circulated around the Villages Clinic.
3. I was too busy taking care of my late husband and did not have the strength to fight for Jeffrey’s Special Mode Transportation. I have nothing BUT time now and I can assure you that I will take this issue to the wall.
4. I am bringing this issue to you first, to see if we can come to some type of resolution. If we cannot come to some type of resolution then I have no other alternative but to carry it to the next level.
I know that you have many employees there at the Villages that are exceptional and truly care for the veterans, and to those employees – Thank you. My team is exceptional and I appreciate them more than they know. Again, I would like to thank you for taking the time to discuss these issues.
Sincerely,
Linda S. Byard"
Now, poor Ms. Norman, tried to look up the regulation on Special Mode Transportation. I told her that she wouldn't be able to find one because one doesn't exist. She tried for at least 5 minutes or so to come up with one to no avail. She stated that they had been audited specifically on the Special Mode Transportation and took a beating because the audit showed they had been transporting people illegally. (I wonder how that audit got started? ROFL)
She then stated that she would have to go to hospital "policy" as that is what they had to follow. So we go back to when we had initially tried to get Jeffrey Special Mode Transport - in October 2013.
She finally gets to the "hospital policy," and then stated "If someone could transfer from a wheelchair into a vehicle they were considered mobile and were not entitled to Special Mode Transportation!" This woman was puffed up like a rooster getting ready to go into a fight and it was apparent that she was quite proud of herself. I let her enjoy herself for maybe 15 seconds before I went in for the kill.
I asked her if she was sure she wanted to stand by this "policy," and she stated yes, and that this was the reason that Jeffrey had been denied. I then stated to her that if this was their stance that I would shut down every Transportation Division within the Florida VA; thereby eliminating a whole lot of positions and funding.
She looked at me with her snide little smile and said "There's no way you can do that!" and I replied "Would you like to place a bet on that?" She said she'd place a bet because there was no way I could make it happen. I looked her in the eye and said "If you use the 'if one can transfer from a wheelchair into a vehicle then you're considered mobile' stance, then there isn't a veteran in the country that would qualify for Special Mode; thereby eliminating the need for any Transportation Division." Now, consider she is still puffed up like a rooster when she replied "How do you figure that?" and I replied "Because I have yet to see a wheelchair that has a built in toilet, nor one that transformed itself into a bed..." POOF! Immediate deflation of the rooster and a true "Oh Sh*t" moment. It is interesting that this is a non-issue at other VA Hospitals, such at the West Palm Beach facility where he absolutely was qualified for Special Mode Transportation, but facilities that fall under the Gainesville purview are continually denied.
I told her that I had had enough of the crap and if the situation wasn't resolved immediately I would have no other choice but to report the discrepancy to Washington DC and the news media.
The issue of Special Mode Transportation directly impacts between 200-300 veterans in the Ocala area alone, and I'm not going to let this dog lie. I am in the process of trying to contact other veterans that are legally blind or totally blind to 'march' on the VA hospital holding car keys in their hands and signs stating "I'm going to start driving to my appointments." I'm pretty sure that it will catch some air time.
Yes, I am back on my broom and I'm not backing down for love nor money.