Manchester VA Archives - Granite Grok

MACDONALD: The VA Is Still Yanking Vet’s Chains

September 10, 2025 Steve MacDonald

On August 4th, the VA announced that it would extend approvals on a list of treatments performed by third-party vendors up to a year. Where approvals had been limited to 90 or 180 days, one would now be good for twelve months. The Department of Veterans Affairs today announced it will improve Veterans’ access to … Read more

MACDONALD: Didn’t the Manchester VA Get the Memo?

August 24, 2025 Steve MacDonald

On August 4th, 2025, the Veterans Administration announced a policy change that wasn’t new. It’s how they used to do business (at least for a little while). WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs today announced it will improve Veterans’ access to health care by extending the length of new VA community care authorizations to one … Read more

Manchester VA Whistleblower Part 4: “Duty to Speak up”

December 3, 2024December 3, 2024 Ron Fawkes

The “Duty to Speak Up” was the theme of this month’s Safety Forum at the Manchester Veteran’s Affairs (VA) Medical Center. The people at the table seemed well-intentioned, but if you’ve read my previous series about what happens to whistleblowers at the VA, you know speaking up leads to an endless loop of broken promises, … Read more

Whistleblower: VA Hospitals Can’t Hire Staff But They Have Money for This!

March 15, 2024 Steve MacDonald

One whistleblower has a way of encouraging others, and we’ve had several reach out regarding VA facilities in New England. Our Manchester VA whistleblower inspired this latest report from a new whistleblower who says they are sick of the poor leadership.

Manchester VA Whistleblower Part 3: Contact with Hassan, Shaheen, Pappas

December 2, 2024March 9, 2024 Ron Fawkes

“We’ve all heard the sensational stories of whistleblower retaliation in federal agencies, but I have the sense most potential whistleblowers get left in the dust of federal bureaucracy, with multiple oversight agencies passing complaints back and forth and little resolution.

Manchester VA Whistleblower Part 2: Federal Oversight of Manchester VA

December 2, 2024February 26, 2024 Ron Fawkes

“Report Wrongdoing.”

This is the message encouraging employees at the Manchester Veteran’s Affairs (VA) Medical Center to report violations of federal law, regulation, or policy. Several agencies are tasked with oversight of VA programs and investigation of complaints, including fraud, waste, abuse, and gross mismanagement.

Whistleblower: The Manchester VA is A Microcosm of Everything Wrong With the Federal Government

December 2, 2024February 11, 2024 Ron Fawkes

“I feel like I’ve stepped back in time.” An all-too-common phrase recited by almost every healthcare provider when they start working at the Manchester Veteran’s Affairs (VA) Medical Center after working in the private sector. We all joke about our period of “VA culture shock,” but when the fog clears, it becomes clear that something is very wrong.