I called the Podiatry Dept to ask about getting an appointment for orthotics; the man who answered…read morethe phone asked, "What are orthotics? I work in Optometry!" Anyway, he suggested that I go to the ER at the VA to get a Podiatry referral, so I did. It really didn't seem practical to refer me to the ER--the place that you go for emergencies--to get a referral, but I happened to be in the area.
I went to the ER on 24 Jul 2020 @ approximately 1530hrs. Parking was easy & close to the door. The 2 ladies who greeted me there were very friendly & cheerful while they took my temperature, asked if I had any signs of COVID-19, or if I'd been around anyone who was symptomatic. Then, they sent me back to the ER, where I was greeted by two very professional men who wore tags under their nametags, showing that they were Air Force & Marine Veterans, respectively. They quickly & politely signed me in & asked me to have a seat in the waiting room until I was called back. (There's a separate waiting room for untested people who have COVID-19 symptoms.)
Within 10 minutes, I was in an exam room in the back & the Nurse told me that the Physician would be right with me. She was absolutely right---in less than 5 minutes, Dr. Roshni Dhoot came into the room. Dr. Dhoot examined my feet, agreed with what my civilian Podiatrist told me, and quickly got me a referral to the Podiatry Clinic.
As a former Oral Surgery Technician & an Operating Room/Infection Control Nurse, I probably know a little bit more about infection control than those who don't work in hospitals. I'm no expert but, based on experience, I would say that the ER, the exam room, & the waiting room appeared very clean; everyone was wearing a mask, and they used alcohol hand sanitizer frequently.
Every single person at the Durham VA was extremely kind, professional, polite, helpful, and had a very positive attitude---I thought that they treated me, an Air Force Veteran of 22 years, with great respect & consideration. And no, I'm not a retired Colonel or General; I worked my way up from an E-1!
I really wish that I'd brought a pen & paper with me so that I could've written down their names & thanked each of those VA Hospital employees by name!
Yes, the VA Hospital is older, as are a lot of military facilities, and it could use a facelift; but, I don't think that the appearance of it affected the great care that I received. As to that, I'd just have to advise that we vote ONLY for Politicians who have a measurable track record of truly caring our military and Veterans. Unfortunately, improvements can take awhile within the Federal Government--and, that's an understatement!
Thank you to those who took such outstanding care of me last week: you made a very positive impression on me! If I lived closer to the VA Hospital, I'd be honored to work there, caring for those who fought for our Country!!