VA needs to better quantify the job it’s doing
To the editor:
I will not question Ms. Klinker’s argument, published last week as a guest opinion, that “one veteran suicide is too many.” That should be the goal of the Veterans Administration when it comes to addressing the needs of our veterans. I must call into question the numbers she presents to support that the VA system is doing a better job than society at large. If six veterans covered under the VA’s care and 14 non-VA covered veterans commit suicide on the same day, would not the number of all veterans being cared for under the VA system have to be known – and disclosed -to make a valid point? That is to say, if the ratio of VA covered veteran records was exactly 6 to 14 non-VA covered veteran records, the VA’s achievement is on par with society at large. If the ratio of records is lower, say three covered veteran records to 14 non-covered veteran records, the VA’s achievement is not as good as that of non-VA systems. The converse is true if the ratio were five VA covered veteran records compared to 14 non-VA covered veteran records -the VA’s achievement would have been clearly better.
I don’t doubt that reducing the number of suicides among veterans is a worthwhile goal, the people trying to convince us that they are making progress need to provide the numbers that make the case.
Jim Fitz-Gerald
Cape Coral