Problems continue to persist at the Dorn VA Medical Center (DVAMC) in Columbia, South Carolina. The DVAMC is a chronic cluster (you know what).
Today we received communication from a confidential source saying that veterans advocate Mr. Graham was being set up by the Dorn Police Department. Our source suspected it was being orchestrated by Police Chief Michael Schausten.
Our first response was, “Oh crap, here we go again. Just when we thought leadership at DVAMC had turned a corner, something else happens.”
Several months ago, Director David Omura was escorted out of the DVAMC building on suspicion of illegally diverting COVID bonus money. That case is still ongoing.
Since our system of justice demands the accused is innocent until proven guilty, Omura was “allegedly” involved in the Covid money fraud. That’s why his picture still hangs in the Dorn Medical Center lobby.
Then recently, the number two man, Mr. Jeffery Soots was also escorted out of DVAMC. It’s possible that his sudden departure is connected with Omura’s fraud case as well.
If the prosecutors are skilled enough, someone will start singing like a canary and the whole house of cards will come a tumbling down.
Presently the acting Director of DVAMC is Mr. Rodriguez who apparently was out of town when everything we are about to tell you occurred.
Multiple sources say that Mr. Rodriguez has the positive leadership traits that MilitaryCorruption.com appreciates and could help DVAMC improve dramatically. The proof will be in the pudding however. Someone needs to remove the bad apples before any improvement will manifest itself at the Dorn VA Medical Center.
A FAKE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION?
We contacted Mr. Graham today to find out if he indeed was the target of a bogus “criminal” investigation conjured up to destroy his reputation and erode, or preferably decimate the burgeoning and positive relationship being established between him and Acting Director Rodriguez.
Graham was initially reluctant to talk about it, but we did verify some information with several other people which he confirmed was true.
It all began with a stupid Dorn policy concerning parking procedures for veteran patients and visitors arriving at the medical center.
DVAMC had a policy that handicapped and 100% disabled vets couldn’t part their own cars in the blue spots in the parking lot.
In order to park in the blue spots, veterans had to surrender their car keys to a valet who would park their cars for them.
According to a sixty-six year old Army veteran, the policy was stupid for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was causing a slow down to the point of almost gridlock that frustrated nearly everyone.
Mr. Graham is the President of a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization (Veterans America) dedicated to helping veterans navigate the massive maze of offices and phone numbers associated with the VA medical system.
Graham’s knowledge of the VA system and specifically the offices and personnel helped veterans cut through red tape and achieve results that were both positive and quick.
Graham, a 100% disabled veteran himself (and others) have told us they didn’t like strangers working as valets driving their car and didn’t like the policy of having police forcing people to use Dorn’s valet parking services in order to park at a designated blue parking place.
As President of Veterans America, Inc, Graham said his car is a rolling office with various files and private information. He felt very uncomfortable allowing anyone in his car with him not there. This included DVAMC valets.
ACTING DIRECTOR RODRIGUEZ ARRIVES
Two days after Mr. Rodriguez was installed as Acting Director of DVAMC, Graham got the opportunity to speak with him personally.
Graham told MC.com, “I’m am not easily impressed, but I got very positive vibs from Mr. Rodriguez. My first impression is that veterans will do well with his leadership.”
When Mr. Rodriguez asked Graham about his concerns, several subjects came up. One was the parking issue forcing handicapped and 100% disabled vets to use the valet service if they wanted to use the blue spots.
Rodriguez immediately ordered the policy changed and Graham suspects the edict may not have gone over well with Chief of Police Michael Schausten.
Some of our recalcitrant staff immediately began referring to the police chief as “Chief Shyster.” For now, we will avoid using such variants, until we discover just how much Schausten was involved it this matter.
Graham sincerely believes Schausten became so upset about the parking policy change, the Chief and his trusty deputies decided to lay in the weeds waiting for Graham to make a mistake, any mistake. Something was bound to go from a mole hill to a mountain soon enough.
If Chief Schausten has such a demeanor, we see him staring in the mirror mimicking Dirty Harry and saying over and over again, “Go ahead, make my day.” Or better yet, “Do you really want to park there? Well do ya punk?”
Graham strongly suspects Chief Schausten was salivating at the prospect of catching Mr. Graham for anything, even slightly illegal. An act of jaywalking, he surmised, would get him slammed down on the pavement and perp-walked off the property.
Graham felt the Chief of Police and his loyal officers would pounce on any violation of VA regulations. In his view, they would use the full force of the “law” on any violation no matter how trivial.
Our staff at MilitaryCorruption.com believes Chief Schausten, or someone pulling the strings were hoping to rid himself of Mr. Graham, or at a minimum, make his life so uncomfortable that he wouldn’t come around the medical center anymore.
According to Mr. Graham, Chief Schausten apparently made his move today (3/29/2024) by launching a so-called “criminal investigation” on Mr. Graham for allegedly calling himself a “patient’s advocate.”
Graham was doing what he always does, helping a 65 year old veteran negotiate the VA labyrinth. She was to be scheduled for surgery to remove cataracts from her eyes.
INFORMATION: A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye that leads to a decrease in vision of the eye. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colors, blurry or double vision, halos around light, trouble with bright lights, and difficulty seeing at night. This may result in trouble driving, reading, or recognizing faces. Poor vision caused by cataracts may also result in an increased risk of falling and depression. Cataracts cause 51% of all cases of blindness and 33% of visual impairment worldwide.
WAIT WHAT? A MEDICAL STUDENT
IS GOING TO BE OPERATING ON ME?
Army veteran Dianne Dowling-Davis served America from 1986-1989. She asked Mr. Graham to help her with a myriad of issues associated with the VA healthcare system.
Dianne was told her cataract surgery was not going to be performed by a doctor, but rather a medical student. Upon hearing this, Dianne responded, ‘No freeeking way is that going to happen.’
Is that even legal to have surgeries performed by a medical student rather than a licensed physician? Nurses we know say that since it’s considered an outpatient procedure where the patient is in and out the same day, interns are frequently used to perform cataract surgeries.
We are concerned! How many times has that happened at the VA and patients didn’t even know the person with the blade in their hand wasn’t licensed physician?
We are still trying to find out if the “surgeon” was an intern, or was he a student attending medical school. And if he was a student, was he a freshman? Lots of questions need answers.
Is that a policy of DVAMC? If so, is having medical students perform surgery legal or even ethical? The student who was giving her a pre-surgical screening said he performed seventy (70) cataract surgeries just last month. Say what?
Is this because the VA found a way to save money by not employing licensed physicians to conduct surgeries? We remember when a worker accidently dropped his pocket knife which spun around and stuck in his foot.
His shoe filled up with blood and he was taken to the company nurse who said, “Sorry, I’m just a registered nurse, you’ll have to go to the hospital and have doctor sew you up.” Our point is… in the world of medicine, there are lines that cannot be crossed.
One of the big problems in the VA medical system is the revolving door of doctors who upon being hired quickly discover just how screwed up the VA is and quickly run for the exits.
The VA cannot keep doctors and sure as hell cannot keep good doctors who quickly become frustrated with all the bureaucratic nonsense and political games they are forced to endure at VA facilities.
Dianne immediately contacted Mr. Graham who swung into action like he does for all veterans. Since Mr. Rodriguez was out of town, Graham spoke with one of the assistants associated with the Deputy Director. Graham was told Ronnie Mack was not available.
We don’t know if that was legit, or Ronnie Mack was “conveniently” not available to cut through some VA red tape to help an Army veteran.
Graham told the assistant that he and his organization (Veterans America, Inc.) were advocates for all veterans. He may have said that he was her advocate and the assistant took that to mean he was legally a patient’s advocate.
Somehow what Graham said, and what she heard were two different things. His words were either innocently misconstrued or intentionally twisted so the Dorn Medical Center could get something, anything on Mr. Graham.
Veterans view Graham as a champion for their cause, the Dorn apparatchiks view him as a pest who is always demanding they do their jobs on behalf of all veterans who seek help from the Dorn VA Medical Center.
After that conversation, someone (presumably the assistant) contacted the Dorn VA police department saying that Graham stated he was a patient advocate. This simply was not true.
Worse yet, someone went into Dianne’s medical records to retrieve her personal phone number in order to provide the information to the Dorn VA Police Department.
Unbeknownst to Mr. Graham, Officer Jefferson from the Dorn VA Police Department called veteran Dianne Dowling-Davis on the phone and demanded to know how she knew Mr. Graham. Officer Jefferson repeated over and over again to Dianne this was a “criminal investigation.”
If Officer Jefferson was being completely honest with Dianne, he would have said the following…
‘Ma’am we are calling to find out if Mr. Graham is your legally declared “Patient Advocate” where you have signed an agreement so that he can legally represent you. We are hoping to convert his choice of words or put words in his mouth in order to launch a “criminal investigation” so we can finally get rid of this guy. With your help, we can do it.’
Instead of being truthful, Officer Jefferson was doing his level best to intimidate Dianne Dowling-Davis by driving home the fact that a so-called “criminal investigation” had been initiated. It was a subtle threat that she had better cooperate, or else she too was in trouble.
Dianne didn’t fall for it. She stayed true to the only person who was really helping her and gave no information to the intrusive and overbearing Officer Jefferson who was doing his very best to weave a “legal” web around Mr. Graham.
ADVOCATE FOR VETERANS
VS.
“PATIENT’S ADVOCATE”
Again, when Graham said he was an advocate for veterans, his words were twisted by the VA that he was claiming to be a “patient’s advocate.” America has already had enough trouble with people demanding to defund the police. We don’t need shit like this to add fuel to the fire.
As stated above, to be a “patient’s advocate,” there has to be a signed document where a veterans authorizes a person or organization to become a legal advocate for a veteran. This is much different that saying you and your organization advocates for all veterans.
When Officer Jefferson emphatically stated that a “criminal investigation” had been launched, implying that Graham was the target of that investigation, it shook up Veteran Dianne badly.
Was the guy who was helping her with VA issues out robbing liquor stores in his spare time? You can imagine what was going through her mind.
Mr. Graham surmised that Chief Schauster working through Officer Jefferson were doing their best to damage the good name and character of Mr. Graham under the color-of-law, which in and of itself a crime.
At the very least it’s a civil tort for slanderous statements that implied Mr. Graham was the target of a criminal investigation.
Officer Jefferson’s insinuation that a “criminal investigation” had been opened on Mr. Graham was devastating news for Dianne.
Dianne went from the horrible prospect of being operated on by a medical student who may have flunked basic surgery 101, to the revelation that Mr. Graham could be some sort of arch criminal.
This raised the stress level for Veteran Dianne Dowling-Davis to the point her blood pressure went in the orbit. Dianne went to the hospital with life-threatening high blood pressure. The first blood pressure reading when she was first examined was sky-high at 214/148.
After being administered medicine intravenously, the second reading was 171/115, and the last reading before leaving the hospital was 167/121, still high, but now at a safer level.
Blood pressure readings over 180/120 are dangerously high and considered stroke level that require immediate medical attention. With blood pressure that high your ears are ringing and blood is on the verge of shooting out of your ears. A very dangerous situation indeed.
Dianne was given amlodipine intravenously to immediately get her blood pressure under control. A real doctor, not a medical student, prescribed five (5) MG of amlodipine besylate to take home with her.
Except for a brief period in 2013, Dianne has never been on blood pressure medication. Was this dramatic rise in blood pressure as a result of the stress brought on by the intimidating phone call from Officer Jefferson implying that Graham was the target of a criminal investigation?
Could a bullying phone call result in a manslaughter charge?
A more pondering question… after receiving the highly distressing phone call from Officer Jefferson concerning a so-called “criminal investigation;”
If Army Veteran Dianne Dowling-Davis suffered a massive stroke and died from the shock of that phone call, would Officer Jefferson be guilty of manslaughter, which is the causing of an unintentional death?
Officers need to be very careful how they sling these bullying terms around that are intended to frighten people.
IT WASN’T THE FIRST TIME DORN
STAFF MEMBERS TRIED TO SET HIM UP!
The senior staff have been after Mr. Graham for quite sometime. When Director David Omura was led out of the building for allegedly diverting bonus money, senior staff members decided that Mr. Graham may have been one of the reasons their beloved leader took a fall.
Chief of Staff Dr. Jackson Slappy took it upon himself to flag Mr. Graham’s file that basically said, ‘this guy is a trouble maker.’ It took awhile, but Mr. Graham discovered the red flag in his file with the Veterans Administration and verbally eviscerated the sneaky doctor.
The insidious doctor with his sly ways didn’t know it but another party was listening in on that one-way conversation.
In our book such sneaky, vile behavior by an unscrupulous doctor should have been the basis to escort him to the front gate along with Director Omura. Nothing happened to the slimy chief-of-staff doctor. He is considered “member in good standing” by the VA.
Adding insult to injury, the slippery doctor told Mr. Graham the red flag in his file would remain for one year. How outrageous is that? With malice aforethought, they surreptitiously enter a character attack in his VA file, then after getting caught, have the temerity to leave it there for a full year.
Our team at MilitaryCorruption.com were all praying that Mr. Graham was going to find a bulldog attorney and drag the devious doctor in front of a jury to explain his abuse(s) of authority.
Ah, but lawyers cost lots of money and Mr. Graham wanted to buy a house. The shifty chief-of-staff got a pass for his outrageously unethical retaliation and misconduct.
We wonder how many other veterans who voiced displeasure with the VA had their files secretly flagged and they don’t even know it’s there? This is a class-action lawsuit waiting to happen.
NOW HEAR THIS, NOW HEAR THIS… All veterans who are using the Dorn VA Medical Center, be forewarned…
You must remain eternally vigilant. Watch these people like a hawk. Your very life could be at stake. Understand that you may have to hire a lawyer to correct injustices and hold people accountable.
One of the three cases that created that body of law known as the “Feres Doctrine” was a veteran who had abdominal surgery, but keep complaining to his wife of horrible pain and cramping several days after the surgery was performed.
He was taken back to the military hospital where follow-up surgery found that he had a 30″ towel in his gut that said “Bethesda Naval Hospital.” In their haste to get back out on the golf course, doctors forgot the bloody towel they had shoved in his abdomen.
Yes, when Mr. Graham discovers VA employees turning into overbearing bureaucrats, he lets them know. Consequently, sometimes “feelings” get hurt, then they use their power to retaliate. Instead of fixing the problem, their first knee-jerk reaction is to destroy the messenger.
America’s veterans need about 100,000 Grahams to help keep all the medical centers and CBOCs honest. The level of corruption in our government is absolutely breathtaking. Millions of Americans have become numb by it all.
When you are tampering with the lives of our veterans, however, this website will call you out. Bank on it!
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
We suggest Veteran Dianne Dowling-Davis file a formal complaint with the Office of Inspector General, but having said that, we frankly do not have much faith in the OIG’s ability to conduct a fair and unbiased investigation.
AS A SIDE NOTE: The Jane Doe case has taught us that filing IG complaints are a waste of time. Jane Doe submitted eight (8) IG complaints and none of them did a damn thing even when provided video evidence of a crime in progress.
We strongly recommend Dianne pursue legal action with a lawyer who specializes in suing the Veterans Administration. She needs to find out if having surgeries conducted by mere medical students is legal conduct.
We wonder how many veterans at VA medical centers are having surgeries performed by medical students instead of actual doctors. We also wonder how many veterans are having surgeries performed by medical students that they didn’t know were not licensed physicians.
We also recommend that Mr. Graham consult with legal counsel because the good name and reputation of both himself and his organization has apparently been damaged by the Dorn VA Medical Center’s Police Department with their sham “criminal investigtion.”
Obviously, not all of the officers are people who use their positions to intimidate and bully, but the VA needs to cull those people out of the VA’s law enforcement agencies.
EMAIL FROM A READER
AT THE DORN MEDICAL CENTER
On Wednesday (3/20/24), one of our readers emailed us the following…
Mr. Jeffrey Soots, Asst. Director, has been led out of WJB DORN VAMC by security. About time! He was Omura’s left hand man so he should have been booted with him. Jeffrey Soots incompetence has finally caught up with him. That sorry sack of shit deserves all that’s coming to him. Now they should clean house of ALL the bad eggs… Ruth Mustard, Danette Wood, Tori Thompson, Lee Thompson, and several in the human resources department. They all showed their true colors by following the two big dummies! Keep taking out the trash Dorn. For God sakes, keep taking out the trash.
The email above is indicative of so many of the communications we receive about the Dorn VA Medical Center. People are starving for positive and strong leadership.
Come on VA, send down a team of black suits from Washington and do some major house cleaning at the Dorn VA Medical Center. Do it because it’s the right thing to do for all the veterans that rely on the medical center for their health care.
Until you do, MilitaryCorruption.com will continue watching and reporting on what appear to be corrupt activities in the hope that someone will finally apply the leadership necessary to help the Dorn VA Medical Center turn the corner and stop all of this tomfoolery.
Mr. Rodriguez, may we humbly suggest that if you are forced to leave town again, please make sure only adults are in charge.
NOTE: We endeavor to provide our readers with only the facts. If, after reading the above article, you feel there are facts missing that should be included in the article, contact us immediately. If you are named in the article above and feel you have been terribly maligned, then provide us with a sworn statement and we will be glad to publish your rebuttal.
Specifically, we are concerned about Chief Michael Schausten and the Dorn VA Medical Center’s Police Department.
Chief, if you feel your involvement in the Graham criminal investigation has not been accurately portrayed, then maybe someone in your department is using your office to perpetrate a crime without your knowledge.
We are glad to send someone over to your office to get your side of the story. That person will report back to us for a follow up article to set the record straight. If you view our article to be uncomfortable but accurate, there’s no need to contact us.
We have great respect for those who enforce the law and we have absolute contempt for those who try to inflict harm under the color of law. Let’s work together to provide our readers with the unvarnished truth. We pray God that someone wasn’t trying to set up Mr. Graham and using the Dorn VA Police Department to do it.
It begs the question. Was Mr. Graham actually the target of a real criminal investigation, or was that just a ploy by Officer Jefferson to get Dianne Dowling-Davis to turn on Graham in an effort to protect herself from legal retribution?
