VETERAN NEGLECT AND ABUSE


My name is Mark Hoggan, I would like to say a few words on the neglect and abuse of Veterans by the Veterans Administration Hospital.

I recently went to my local VA Hospital in Salt Lake City and after telling my story to them I was diagnosed as suffering from “Depression”. I was actually depressed and considering suicide. This much is true. I like many other people in America really do suffer from “Depression” I was then sent to the Psychiatric Ward of the hospital and was kept there for 2 weeks, because I was suicidal and suffering from “Depression”.

The VA in it’s eternal wisdom decided that to treat my “Depression” it would lock me up in the “Psych Ward” because I was suffering from “Depression” seriously? I am not a doctor or a nurse but I don’t think locking someone up and treating them like a “Mental Patient” can be good for people with “Depression.”


Don’t get me wrong I think that people with “Depression.” Should be helped and can be patients in hospitals, that is not my point. I believe that people with “Depression.” Should not be locked up like they are crazy, THEY ARE NOT CRAZY!!!. They suffer from a truly debilitating disease. But are treated like “Mental Patients.” And are sent away from the VA hospital because it is too full of “Mental Patients” to some other contracted “Treatment Facility” where they are over medicated by a nurse and neglected by under qualified medical and treatment staff.


This place is called “Highland Ridge Hospital” in Midvale, Utah. It leaves Veterans sitting around receiving very little treatment. While I was there they tried to put me on medications other than the ones I was put on at the VA, and tried to make me take them but I refused because I will not take anything that was not prescribed by a doctor. They have an APRN who thinks he’s a psychiatrist, prescribing medications to “Mental Patients”.


The administrator, who says he’s a veteran, as does the APRN, treats people with little regard and over medication that borders on serious abuse and neglect. Neither of who should be working with people who have serious illnesses and need real treatment. They are not to be treated as baggage, left lying around and heavily medicated. Veterans should be treated with respect and receive the help they need and treated by a for profit second-class facility that supposed to be treating addiction clients.

My primary care physician wants me to take Chantix to stop smoking but says the decision isn't up to her. To me this is another example of misplaced priorities in the veterans administration. They need to be straightened out. Nothing is more important to my health than quitting smoking.