Seldom does MilitaryCorruption.com publish “feel-good” articles, but this fantastic story about failing VA facilities turned around by new, courageous leaders cried out for attention. We had to momentarily set aside our zeal for exposing corruption to tell this remarkable story of success and achievement.
Using an aviation metaphor, the VHA and VBA in Columbia, South Carolina were in a death spiral. Doctors, nurses and technicians were quitting or elected for early retirements. The plight of aging and ailing veterans were being ignored and hung in the balance.
This is when two no-nonsense managers stepped forward to “pull back on the stick” avoiding a catastrophic system crash and preventing unnecessary death and suffering by veterans relying on the VA health and benefit services.
In other words, these new and extraordinary leaders took immediate and decisive steps to reverse the downward trajectory of the VBA and VHA. Within a year, services (and attitudes) dramatically improved benefiting literally thousands of local veterans.
The decisive actions of these newly installed leaders and their respective staffs alleviated suffering and aggravation. Their leadership methods gave hope and saved or extended the lives of many veterans.
Yes, yes, we’re sure that some out there have complaints that have not been addressed to their satisfaction, but things are indeed changing for the better. Sam Cooke in 1964 sang, “A Change Is Going to Come.” Indeed it did. Life-saving change finally arrived at the VA facilities in Columbia, South Carolina.
Believe us when we say the local Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) in Columbia, South Carolina were in horrible disarray. Employees and veterans were desperately pleading for someone to send the necessary leadership to get things back on track.
The Dorn VA Medical Center went though several interim directors until they finally hit the jackpot with Deputy Director Oscar G. Rodriguez, dispatched from the VA Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia. The local VBA office also “struck oil” a year ago when they swore-in Shelia Jackson to be the new Director.
THE LEADERSHIP OF OSCAR RODRIGUEZ
We cannot begin to describe the euphoria when real leaders arrive in a place so devoid of sound leadership principles. Throngs of veterans and employees were pleading, begging for relief from VA HQ in Washington to send them strong, positive leadership.
Like the Calvary arriving, Oscar Rodriguez began to take charge and carry out the plan of the day. His first move was to establish an open-door policy.
Rodriguez knew he could not correct problems unless he knew specifically what those problems were. He had to hear and witness the good, the bad and the ugly. As most people in the Navy know, you cannot chart a course on the ocean unless you know where your located.
What some viewed as just chronic complainers were actually sources of vital information that Rodriguez needed to hear. Indeed he got an ear full. There were so many problems, it was hard to decide what issue needed to be tackled first.
We cannot possibly list all of the wonderful changes Rodriguez has made since his arrival, but here are a few that occurred almost immediately…
- Acting Director Rodriguez immediately established an open-line of communication with the staff, physicians, nurses and technicians. No longer did employees have anything to fear for merely asking to speak with the director. And, for the first time, veterans had the opportunity to make an appointment to speak to the acting director about problems they were having at the Dorn VAMC.
- Rodriguez put “heat” on employees to actually back-up their favorite saying, “Thank you for your service.” Some lazy employees put their phones on a recorder so they no longer would have to speak with veterans. They only delt with complaints they agreed with and ignored all the rest.
- Rodriguez’s approach to problem solving did not include DEI and WOKE BS. He rewards good work and zeros in on those who are simply staring at the clock waiting for quitting time. He reminded every employee their primary goal was to serve the American veteran.
- Rodriguez rejects the “speedbump mentality.” Speedbumps exists because authorities lack neither the will or ability to control the speeders. Instead of holding speeders accountable, they install aggravating speedbumps which makes everyone’s life miserable. Rodriguez knows that confronting the offender, is the best way to reward all the other people who are doing their jobs properly. It’s a simple concept called accountability.
- Rodriguez believes in accountability. He believes in holding employees and staff responsible for their actions, or lack of action, while rewarding others who take pride in their job. Again, he continually reminds everyone; their job is to serve the American veteran, and not just collect a paycheck.
- Parking at the medical facility was a horrible nightmare. Large areas of the parking lot was blocked off that left few spaces for patrons of the hospital. Traffic from the main road was jammed up nearly everyday as elderly seniors attempted to get dropped off at the front door to avoid the long walk to get to their appointments. Rodriguez tackled the parking problem head-on. While it’s still not perfect, his decisive edicts made a world of difference. While parking close is no big deal to 90% of patrons, it sure helped the senior vets whose strength in their legs and back were spent in the jungles of Vietnam. For them, shorter walks and disability ramps are indeed a very big deal.
- When Rodriguez heard of a staff member or employee going above and beyond to help America’s veteran patrons, he didn’t ignore it, he didn’t tell someone else to give them kudos; Oscar Rodriguez himself came out of his ivory tower and personally congratulated that employee for a job well done.
An effective leader means sometimes being almost a Jekyll and Hyde character. Sometimes a leader pours on the love with public recognitions of jobs well done. Other times, he pours on the acid to get peoples attention. General George S. Patton used this method quite effectively and he took on the German Wehrmacht.
Rodriguez knows that if both the love and acid are dispensed in a fair and unbiased manner, employees and staff will respond favorably. This leadership trait alone will help to foster cohesion and increase pride.
Rodriguez has been successful using the Japanese model of leadership, which says a manager and leader needs to take care of his employees first, and they will in turn take good care of the customers (veterans). In other words, do your best to create a happy workplace and the veterans will be treated better accordingly.
Oscar Rodriguez knows the magic of good and effective delegation, but also knows the importance of closely monitoring the results. When results fall short of the mark, Rodriguez immediately goes into “fix-it mode” confronting the issue head-on. Burying your head in the sand only makes the problem get worse.
As the Director of a major medical facility, there will always be a crisis to conquer, but the extraordinary leadership of Oscar Rodriguez has made a tremendous difference and the veterans are benefiting everyday because of it.
The VA upper echelon would be wise to confer upon Oscar Rodriguez the job as permanent Director of the Dorn VA Medical Center. He has proven what can be done when a real manager is provided the authority commensurate with his responsibility. There is no question of his leadership abilities.
We therefore recommend officially naming Oscar G. Rodriguez as the new Director of the Dorn VA Medical Center when the legal path to do so opens up.
THE LEADERSHIP OF SHELIA JACKSON
One of the smartest moves the VA ever made was installing Shelia Jackson as the Director of Benefits at the VBA regional office in Columbia, South Carolina. No one has been more proactive and dedicated for the veterans than Shelia Jackson.
Director Jackson arrived at her desk in March 2023, and was sworn in as the Director on August 16, 2023. In just a single year as official director, she has done miraculous things on behalf of veterans. She’s helped hundreds of veterans and dependents receive benefits they otherwise would know nothing about.
Both Rodriguez and Jackson discovered that veterans were being kicked around like a football. Jointly they worked together to hold townhall meetings, forums and various gatherings in an effort to help and support America’s veterans.
On March 21, 2024, Rodriguez and Jackson held a massive event called the Veteran Experience Action Center (VEAC) along with Veterans Claims Clinic (VCC). Skilled professionals were all there to help any veteran who attended.
Numerous doctors, nurses, and claims specialists offered help and guidance to local participating veterans. An estimated 1,132 (Veterans, Dependents, and Surviving Spouses) took advantage of the opportunity to get their questions answered and potentially receive help from the VA.
Out of the total attending, 162 veterans had never interacted with the VA at all, and no doubt, needed vital guidance on how the VA does things. Like it or not, there are hoops vets need to jump through before receiving certain benefits. Knowing that procedure is half the battle.
It’s a shame the VA didn’t have the money to adequately promote the event. Many people didn’t even know about the VEAC (VCC) event until after it was over.
There was some limited TV coverage, but had there been a healthier advertising campaign about the event, attendance would have increased to several thousand additional participants.
As the VA PAO stated in their “After Action Report,” the success of the VEAC (VCC) event was a testament to the collaborative power and community engagement in supporting America’s veterans. Success is credited to the dedication and participation of…
- community volunteers,
- competent and dedicated staff and technicians,
- the support of affiliated government agencies,
- the partnership of veteran service organizations (VSOs),
- and the full-fledged commitment and cooperation between VBA and VHA…
…the VEAC (VCC) event masterfully provided essential assistance to over a thousand veterans in the Columbia, South Carolina area. By all accounts, it was a tremendous success.
This proactive approach in helping veterans reaffirmed the VHA and VBA commitment (under the tutelage of Oscar Rodriguez and Shelia Jackson) to honoring their service and sacrifices by America’s veterans.
Forty-eight percent of those attending filled out questionnaires.
The leadership (Rodriguez and Jackson) sincerely wanted to now if the money and time spent on this event was worth the effort. An astounding 80% said they trusted the VA and its community partners to meet their needs at the VEAC (VCC) event. A whopping 90% said they would recommend the event to other veterans.
SUMMARY:
Over the past 25 years, MilitaryCorruption.com has seen all sorts of military skullduggery because that’s what we do. We aggressively search for malfeasance and expose it for all the world to see.
Many people are serving time behind bars in Ft. Leavenworth for infractions that are many times less that what the admirals and generals do on any given day.
In the past, we have occasionally discovered a disconcerting amount of misconduct in the Veterans Administration as well. We find it, expose it and don’t pull our punches. Again, that’s what we do.
You can imagine how refreshing it was to learn of the achievements that seem to be happening on a daily basis at the VA facilities in Columbia, South Carolina. Because in their infinite wisdom, VA Washington installed two extraordinary managers who are gifted leaders to turn things around.
Results are clear. Evidence of strong and positive leadership principles have been implemented and are working beautifully in Columbia, South Carolina.
Even though the map below shows twenty-one (21) VISN regions, because of necessary mergers and other changes, there are actually a total of eighteen (18) “Veterans Integrated Service Networks,” or VISNs presently in the VA system.
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and its 371,000 employees provide care at 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient clinics (CBOCs) to over nine (9) million veterans. Most managers have difficulty managing 50 employees.
This gargantuan organization desperately needs people like Oscar Rodriguez and Shelia Jackson along with thousands of other dedicated employees who provide care and guidance to America’s veterans as they age and suffer from a plethora of medical maladies.
Columbia, South Carolina is in the VISN 7 Network. VISN 7 provides health care to veterans in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. VISN 7 has eight (8) medical centers and fifty (50) Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs).
Thousands of veterans in the Columbia, South Carolina area are being treated better than they were a year ago, because of the proven leadership of Oscar Rodriguez and Shelia Jackson.
On behalf of all veterans, a heartfelt thank you to Oscar Rodriguez and Shelia Jackson for your service to America’s Veterans through your talented application of tried and true leadership principles. Because you are there, the veterans are benefiting, the employees are benefiting and the slackers are on borrowed time.
Most Sincerely and Respectfully,
Nelson Sloan, Editor
MilitaryCorruption.com
P.S. Lest we forget. We’d also like to recognize the efforts of several other VA professionals who are integral members of the VEAC (VCC) events…
- Marlon Hinds, – CMA/PAO at the Columbia VA Regional Office.
- Jim Jarvis – American Legion, Former State Commander.
- Patricia Wortherly-Foye – South Carolina Dept. of Veterans Affairs (SCDVA), Deputy Director of Veterans Services.
- Anthony Hodges – Dorn VAMC, Resource and Outreach Program Specialist.
- Stephen Hudson, – South Carolina Military Department, Public Information Director, Adjutant General’s Office
- Heather Osborne, – Mgmt. Analyst, Medical Disability and Evaluation Office.
- Crystal Green, – Mgmt. Analyst, Medical Disability and Evaluation Office.
- Gabrielle Govan-Scott, – Columbia VA Regional Office, AVSCM.