Ted Poe: “According to Kuauhtemoc Rodriguez, called K-Rod, a VA employee at the medical center in Phoenix, Arizona-- yes, that…”

“According to Kuauhtemoc Rodriguez, called K-Rod, a VA employee at the medical center in Phoenix, Arizona-- yes, that famous VA hospital--he has been threatened and harassed by the VA for speaking up about excessive wait times for vets to see doctors. In October of 2016, the VA's inspector general released a report of misconduct on the Phoenix hospital based on information provided by Mr. Rodriguez. Mr. Rodriguez alleged that more than 90 veterans had been waiting over 400 days to see a doctor, 5 of whom died before they could see the doctor. These accusations are very disturbing. But Mr. Rodriguez' discovery did not earn him a medal or a plaque, just threats and harassment by the VA. They even moved his desk to a closet. There are many folks at the VA who genuinely care about our veterans in this country, like K-Rod, but there seems to be a culture problem at the VA that must be addressed from the top down. Fix the problem rather than attack whistleblowers. No veteran should ever wait to see a doctor for over a year. That is shameful. And that is just the way it is. ____________________”