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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Court issues civics lesson to school district ... State, miners headed for showdown over dredging ... Jacksonville to add downtown parking spots ... Our View: Court issues civics lesson to school district ... State, miners headed for showdown over dredging ... Jacksonville to add downtown parking spots ... OTHER VIEWS Other Views: Roseburg VA director sets the right goals Comment By The (Roseburg) News-Review MailTribune.com By The (Roseburg) News-Review Posted Dec. 27, 2014 at 12:01 AM By The (Roseburg) News-Review Posted Dec. 27, 2014 at 12:01 AM » Social News It's good to see the interim director of the Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Doug Paxton, interacting with so many members of his staff, as well as veterans. As a veteran himself, it's easy to believe him when he says he wants to listen and learn from veterans, and help them as much as he can. Paxton's desire to shorten patients' wait times and increase transparency about the VA are right on target. If he is able to make progress in these areas, his interim duties will have been worthwhile. His work could also provide a better starting point for a new permanent director. We want to remind readers that we remain focused on the activities at the Roseburg VA because of its vast significance. Most important, the men and women who have fought for our country are worthy of the best health care we can provide. They also deserve to be treated respectfully and in a timely manner. The Roseburg VA is the only facility of its type between Portland and San Francisco, making it a crucial establishment for the tens of thousands of veterans living between those two points. Because the hospital is located in Roseburg and employs about 900 people, its success is tied to our local economy. Having a strong and thriving VA with a good reputation can help Roseburg grow and enhance the quality of life for VA employees and patients. While Paxton has set the right goals, it's going to take work to achieve them. Primary care wait times at the VA have yet to decline. And two veterans quoted in The News-Review last Sunday related how the Roseburg VA's offers of getting care in the community — an option that's supposed to be provided when wait times are unrealistic — haven't panned out. We know their stories are not unusual. Paxton is also overlooking a necessary function of his position if he's not going to investigate Roseburg VA Chief Nurse Executive Tracy Weistreich and Associate Director Steven Broskey. The two are part of the senior management team, called "the tetrad," that were included in a "no confidence" statement by the Douglas County Veterans Forum, which represents 5,000 local veterans from 17 veterans organizations. Drawing on information from various sources, including current and former employees, the forum said the tetrad contributed to poor employee morale, whistle-blower retaliation and long wait times. Such serious accusations must be investigated, especially when the remaining tetrad members are in charge of so much money, so many departments and so many policies and procedures. Even if it's only the perception that the pair have negatively affected the morale — driving it down to the lowest satisfaction of any VA in the region and below the national average — their role in what has been called a "toxic work environment" must be examined. We recognize Paxton took on an extremely difficult job and has limited time to remedy longtime ills. Our hope is that he's begun improving the culture at the VA, in a way that a new permanent director can pick up the process and continue to move forward. By The (Roseburg) News-Review MailTribune.com By The (Roseburg) News-Review Posted Dec. 27, 2014 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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