Unintentional Irony Watch: Veterans Affairs Seeks "Executive Director for Ethics in Health Care"

My colleague Peter Suderman has well documented the manifold ethical lapses of Veterans Affairs Department bureaucrats in their treatment (or lack thereof) of the men and women who have served in our nation's armed forces. As it happens Veterans Affairs is looking to hire someone to provide guidance to the agency on ethical issues. The duties of the new head of the National Center for Ethics in Health Care at the Department of Veterans Affairs as outlined in the job posting include:  

The incumbent of this position establishes, measures, and continuously improves ethical healthcare practices throughout VA's healthcare system so that patients, families and staff will experience VA as a highly ethical organization.

The new executive director also…

…proactively identifies and manages controversial healthcare ethics issues; provides practical advice to the Under Secretary for Health and other VA leaders and staff; guides, mentors, and supports a diverse staff of 29 that includes clinicians, ethicists, and social workers at 3 office sites; efficiently administers a $5+ million budget;…establishes standards for ethics programs in each of VA's 150+ healthcare facilities; provides expert guidance to several thousand field-based ethics program staff….

Interested candidates have until June 23 to apply. Good luck!

See Peter Suderman's superb article, "The VA Health System Is a Tragic Warning Against Government-Run Health Care."

Comments

[R C Dean]

Lessee, staff of 30, budget of $5mm+, carry the one . . . call it $170,00 per head.

NOTHING LEFT TO CUT!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Now hiring: Next scapegoat.

[Mad Scientist]

I was subjected to NPR for a few moments the other day and some guest was saying, even though the current situation at the VA is deplorable, he would never want to subject our fine military men and women to free market physicians who only care about their profits instead of the veterans.

I then experienced what seemed like a brand new emotion as I laughed and choked back puke at the same time.

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

Pukter?

Labarf?

Chortupchuck?

[BSubversive.com]

Spewk?

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

Hmmm. That is the best one so far.

[GILMORE]

"...what seemed like a brand new emotion as I laughed and choked back puke at the same time."

Upchuckle

[Mad Scientist]

Winner!

[mad.casual]

I then experienced what seemed like a brand new emotion as I laughed and choked back puke at the same time.

Be careful. That sensation can be addictive. Before you know it, you'll be listening to NPR at work just to get your cacklegag fix.

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

I'll take the job!

"I have determined that the DVA's involvement in healthcare is unethical, and it must cease forthwith. Upon such halt of involvement, I resign and ask my office be abolished."

[Dances-with-Trolls]

Didn't some government employe do basically that when put in charge of a government organization in Alaska? Damn, can't remember the details but I do remember that the Top Men were none too pleased to hear it.

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

In IL, the Treasurer and Comptroller have been saying - "merge our offices and get rid of one or the other". Falls on deaf ears, as TEAM BLUE hopes to retake them, and gain the patronage of two separate organizations.

[GILMORE]

What this problem needs is moar bureaucrats!

Also, money!

[R C Dean]

Two steps:

(1) Sell all VA hospitals.

(2) Give all veterans a subsidy to buy insurance on an HIE. (I know, I know, but we have a deal with the veterans to give them health coverage at the VA).

There, problem, if not solved, at least rolled into the bigger problem. And with veterans getting the short end of the ObamaCare stick, it will be harder to pretend nothing is wrong.

[sarcasmic]

The private sector would pay some evil CEO a huge amount of money to do this, and they just might something done. In this case some government or military administrator (high ranking officer) will take the job, and nothing will change.

[GILMORE]

"sarcasmic|6.2.14 @ 2:56PM|#

The private sector would pay some evil CEO a huge amount of money to do this, and they just might something done. In this case some government or military administrator (high ranking officer) will take the job, and nothing will change."

almost there -

You left out the part where the government will throw 10X the amount of money at the problem, and in fact MAKE IT WORSE at the end.

That's the amazing thing about Government 'solutions' - not only do they not 'solve' the problem they were intended to address? they in fact become gigantic monsters of their own and require ANOTHER 10X more money simply to put out the fires that they started.

This is partly what makes government-created problems so fascinating: they utter Godzilla-sized scale of them. They become fuckups so gigantic that people begin to believe that they are forces of nature.

Sort of like a Phish concert.

[GILMORE]

or a monorail

[gimmeasammich]

"I hear those things are awfully loud."

[sarcasmic]

Someone from the private sector would do what is unthinkable in the public sector and fire people. Lots of people. Which is why no one from the private sector would be allowed to get anywhere near that job.

[GILMORE]

Obama: Power plant rule will shrink power prices

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....story.html

"Under the plan, carbon emissions are to be reduced 30 percent from 2005 levels, in what would amount to one of the most significant U.S. actions on global warming.

Obama, in a conference call hosted by the American Lung Association, said the plan would both shrink electricity prices and protect the health of vulnerable Americans"

Translation =

Energy prices will rise, and people will die much faster than would otherwise.

Oh, and dismantling it will take 20 years.

[Michael Price]

They forgot "Applicant must be able to spend at least an hour a day banging their head against their desk without losing efficiency."