Missing the Point: Ft. Thomas Kentucky Veterans Memorial Shopping Plaza

With VA hospitals quickly becoming our country's not-so-secret shame, is the Ft. Thomas, Kentucky plan to build a veteran's memorial plaza really an appropriate use of funds?

The Veteran's Administration recently released the Environment of Care report in its attempt to address the problems in VA hospitals- and to address the recent negative press leaks. What the VA report won't tell you about VA hospitals:

- Veterans' hospitals have been downsizing, consolidating and closing for several years now (case in point- The old Fort Thomas VA Medical Center is now a nursing home);

- VA hospitals have been buying drugs in bulk to save money for approximately four years;

- Veteran hospital patients aren't given everything they need in the time they need it- toothbrushes, for example;

- Veterans face long drives to reach base pharmacies and even longer lines to get prescriptions filled;

- VA doctors are predisposed to ignore post traumatic stress disorder in medical diagnoses.

A few of the issues uncovered in the VA's Environment of Care report include moldy VA hospital rooms, leaking roofs and in one case, bat infestation. In addition, they're decorated with worn out carpets, antiquated waiting room furniture and not enough sleeper beds for guests.

Fort Thomas can find a better way to spend this windfall- an important way, that benefits local veterans, instead of building a memorial. With the current VA hospital backlash, building the plaza in front of the now-defunct VA medical center seems somewhat tasteless- and inappropriate.

If I were advising Ft. Thomas on public relations strategy, I'd tell them to take 10% of the money earmarked for the veterans memorial plaza and build a plaque. A plaque that explains how, in 2007, Fort Thomas donated a large amount of money to help local veterans- in ways that matter the most.

Read the full Environment of Care Report at the VA Web site.