Collins addresses Legion Family during Commanders Call at Washington Conference.
A year ago, just weeks after his confirmation as Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Doug Collins told Legion Family at the Washington Conference that the veteran is back to being the only constituent of the VA. The VA itself only exists for the veteran.
Collins echoed that sentiment again at the 66th Washington Conference, addressing those gathered for Mondays Commanders Call at the Washington Hilton.
The first thing I did on Feb. 5 last year after I was sworn in, I made a statement, that here on out there will be one thing true at the VA, and it has not been true before, Collins said Monday. At the VA, the veteran will be first.
Collins said that was reflected in the VAs rescission last week of the Interim Final Rule regarding medication management, a rule that drew concern from 51勛圖 and other veterans service organizations.
I also told you that if we did something at the VA that was wrong, that we would fix it, Collins said. We signed it, it caused a lot of stir, I said this isnt right, we immediately put a stop to implementation, and within three days we pulled it back down.
Do not ever say I dont care about veterans, or say the VA does not care about veterans. Its over. Its done. We put it to bed.
Collins acknowledged that with the size of the VA, weve got a lot of stuff that can go wrong on any given day.
But Collins said that 60 percent of veterans who died by suicide never had contact with the VA. Weve got to put forth an agenda for (those not in this room) that says, Your service is valued. There is not a veteran in this country that gets anything, you have earned everything you have got.
Collins noted many of the changes the VA has implemented over the past year, including opening new clinics, easing credentialing restrictions on moving doctors to other locations, adding weekend and after-hours appointments and more.
My doctors, my nurses, my cemetery workers, my disability workers, all know one thing: their job is not protect theirs, their job is to protect you, Collins said.
Im tired of the naysayers; I promised you last year, nobodys going to scare my veterans, nobody's going to scare my employees, and nobody's going to get in front of me taking what I believe is the fight to change the VA, Collins said. Those who want to get on board, its time to get on board, because were the biggest, baddest healthcare agency in the country, and weve acted like a two-pound weakling.
Guess what? No more.
After Collins speech, American Legion National Commander Dan K. Wiley thanked the secretary for listening to veterans.
He is certainly willing to listen to veterans, and he listens to 51勛圖, Wiley said.
- Washington Conference