Anyone here ever use the V.A. hospital in Indy ??
Have a few questions about it if you have .

I haven't but my wife's father used the VA physician services. He is no longer with us but I believe he was always satisfied with his services there. Can't speak for hospital services though.

Thank you Dave . I'm trying to find out if they are decent to deal with . By that I mean do the Doctors really know what they are doing , are apt. pretty much on time , are folks treated with just a little common decency , do they return phone calls , are they truthful or do they just tell you anything to get rid of you ?
At present I have to go to Jesse Brown in Chicago , lets just say that if they were private instead of Gov. they would have been shut down long ago .

My grandfather had a heart valve replaced there in 1998. Seemed to be happy with the service and quality of work.

My wife said that her dad really liked the physicians and staff and felt like they were treated well and received very good medical care. Apparently though, the place John used was moreso a clinic setting and he would be given a window of time for his appointment, say from 9 to 11 am. So, he would have to be there at 9 but he would be seen not a specific time but anytime in that window of time. Now, saying all that, he also have some physicians that took care of him that did not practice at the VA. I believe that years ago there were many issues but in the last few years things have turned around a lot and there is a much more positive feeling toward the VA now. I hesitate to too pro or con since I have never used the VA myself and I certainly don't want to steer you wrong. Hopefully someone else will chime in on this thread.

I'm thinking about having my records changed from Chicago to Indy but don't want to go from the frying pan to the fire so to speak .

Been using them since 05, appointments are on time, seemed to care and help! I've since moved to martinsville CBOC but occasionally have to go back for special treatment.

Parking sucks but they are in the process of building a new garage. My appointments have been by time, not a block of possible time.

I've been using them since 1968. I staretd out ging monthly and over the years that has changed to where I now go once a year. PM me for more info specifically what you are having done in Chicago vs. what you expect Roudebush to do.

Yes, the parking is a hassle. Sometimes (not always) you can wait hours for your appointment. I've not seen the same doctor in almost 5 years. Pharmacy is a pain. My instructions to my family in an emergency are NOT to take there unless they don't want me coming home.

HatchetJack

I started out at the CBOC in Bloomington, and that doc was a joke. Followed the very slow establishment of the new one in Martinsville for 3 years, and the 'guvmint didn't come close to telling why it took so long. The new VA doc in Martinsville is good and the staff is great, two miles from my house and the parking is fantastic. Indy is another story in itself. The IU Med School supplies a ton of interns at Indy, and they rotate on a regular basis, as the lady surgeon who operated on my hand in Feb. is now at Methodist. Indy relies on the CBOC to send up info and if you have a good relationship with your primary, you can get taken care of [when they get the time] as they are way over loaded with patients and woefully under staffed and have to rely on IU to fill the void. I can safely say the the IU docs and nurses are very helpful and will try and help you in any way they can, but one must remember that this is the 'guvmint, which amounts to socialized medicine, and the older, permanent will tell you that. I've had several procedures that that were done very professionally, although it took what seemed like forever, but keep at it. At least the cost is OK, as it just cost me 3 years of my life and a good bit of my hearing. The best thing I've learned about the VA is ask questions, more questions, and then some more questions. Asking questions at the new CBOC got me a lot of answers, like if I would ever need to go to an emergency room, I can go to the local hospital which is a couple of hundred yards from the CBOC. Prescriptions are sent to me in the mail, or I can pick up a quick 10 day supply in town on the way home. Parking in Indy right now is very good on Lafayette Rd. and you hop a shuttle to 10th street. Always show up early for an appt., I was on my way home one day after 3 appts. at the time I was scheduled for the first one. In short, learn the ropes and hallways at Indy and go for it, you won't be sorry in the long run.

Not sure of shooter, but I'm in the OIF/OEF group so maybe that is the difference downtown? I've never had any problems??? Martinsville is a breeze, but the last 4 months I haven't used the VA, haven't had any issues besides the ones I'm going to have for life, at least nothing has gotten worse.

I will say my grandpa had a surgery there and they really messed him up. The surgery was on his neck and he ended up with one shoulder way lower than the other when they were finished. This was years ago. He refused to go back after that. He passed away in May and the family is still battling the lawsuit with the VA.