Thursday, August 6, 2015

Honorable Senator, thank you for helping our Veteran's


This note to the Honorable Senator, my advocacy, well, the task is to move the argument to the other side of the room to allow those who help others to do just that.

Honorable United States Senator Dianne Feinstein,                                  Date 8/6/15

 

Dear Honorable Senator Feinstein,

 

 Thank you very much for everything you and you staff do for the great country we live in, I really appreciate it!

 Thank you very much for supporting our Veteran's in the Los Angeles area via restricting leases that would not benefit our Veteran's at the Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System(GLAS).

 Over the years as an advocate for the prevention of healthcare associated infections at our Veteran’s  hospitals I have been appalled by the conduct of the staff at the facility.

 The only U.S. employee to criticize my advocacy over the years was GLAS Director Donna Beiter, she had a subordinate call me and told me to stop writing to her and if I did not she would throw all of my communications in the trash, I reminded the subordinate that it was not a problem, the Honorable Senator Feinstein's office has a complete set.  Understandably, at the time, Director Beiter had a very busy schedule, for some reason she seemed to spend a great amount of time in court and I do not believe for recognition of outstanding delivery of service by her unit.   To here lately about the G.A.O.'s findings concerning her living conditions on the facility was of no surprise.

 It is time, in my humble opinion, to investigate the privatization of the VA system, I am quite sure it would benefit our Vets and benefit development of more efficient healthcare for us all. Perhaps there was a good reason to let the regional VA systems run as secretive kingdoms(silos) but everything I have read about the budgetary issues system wide and mismanagement of virtually every aspect of the delivery of service to our Veteran’s.

 A critic I am not but the current tune-up underway at the VA can only be described as a total failure, one man has had little impact on a very challenging situation, the latest, “meetings with union VA staff members in a basement somewhere in the Washington DC area” helped me come to my conclusion.

 Once again, thank you for helping our Veteran's.

 

Respectfully,

 

 

February 13, 2012

 

Donna M. Beiter, R.N., M.S.N.

Director

Department Of Veterans Affairs

Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (GLAHS)

11301 Wilshire Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90073

 

Dear Ms. Beiter,

 

 Please allow me to offer you a very warm “thank you” for your letter in response to my advocacy for patient safety (691/90), your efforts are very much appreciated. Although there are certainly no shortage of vendors in the field of HAI, my advocacy is “pro-bono” with the inspiration deeply rooted in the article in the L.A. Times and the profound statements from Ms. Pam Kehaly, President, Anthem Blue Cross, contained within.

 My advocacy has led me to the top to see where I could help to assure our veterans are receiving the benefits of the efforts underway in the private healthcare system only to find out that the “top” is watching for “best practices” being employed by the 50 states.

 The unlikeliest of advocates I am but as a veteran, ratepayer, business owner and taxpayer, HAI seems to be a small part of healthcare, for me, my top priority!

 My advocacy will depend on input and support from professionals like yourself, Ms. Kehaly and her staff set our efforts ahead a few months in a short meeting, five professionals with 116 years in the healthcare field, “HAI-Five”!

 Other than manufacturing components for ventilators for the past decade in our humble machine shop I have no financial relationships with any entity that would benefit from my advocacy, just trying to give a little back and help out a few vets.

 One thing I have learned is that a V.A.P. free facility should now be the “norm” not the exception, I have recently solicited both the California Senate and Assembly Healthcare subcommittees and T.J.C. of my intentions, Kimberly-Clark has provided a web-based site where I have posted my interests. http://hai.soundenterprises.com/pg/profile/Michael

 President Barack Obama, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Barbara Boxer, all of my state representatives, GLAHS,  Anthem Blue Cross, Kimberly Clark, in my opinion, we are all looking for the same thing, safer, more efficient healthcare.

 Once again, thank you so much for all that you and your organization do for the people who gave the most for the great country we live in! If you do not mind I will send you updates from time to time as my advocacy begins to find more focus.

 

Sincerely,

 

Michael H. Slavinski                                                  Continued on page 2

 

  page 2

 

cc:

 

Honorable President of the United States Barack Obama

 

Honorable United Stated Senator Dianne Feinstein

 

Honorable United States Senator Barbara Boxer

 

Honorable Governor Edmond G. Brown Jr.

The Great State of California

 

Honorable California Senator Ed Hernandez

Chair, Senate Health Committee

 

Honorable California Senator Sam Blakeslee

 

Honorable California Assemblymember William W. Monning

Chair, Committee on Health Care

 

Honorable California Assemblymember Katcho Achadjian

 

Honorable Supervisor Frank Mecham

San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors

 

Ms. Pam Kehaly

President, Anthem Blue Cross

 

Mr. Eddy W. Hartenstrin

Publisher and Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles Times

President and Chief Executive Officer, Tribune Company

 

Veteran's Service Officer Dana Cummings,

San Luis Obispo County

 

Staff, Anthem Blue Cross

 

"If we can improve the quality of care, that will translate into lower cost," Anthem President Pam Kehaly said. "These are real dollars."