{"id":17824,"date":"2017-09-25T16:23:11","date_gmt":"2017-09-25T16:23:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2017\/09\/25\/commentary-va-can-lead-the-way-on-better-prosthetics-care-but-must-learn-from-past-mistakes\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:53:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:53:36","slug":"commentary-va-can-lead-the-way-on-better-prosthetics-care-but-must-learn-from-past-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2017\/09\/25\/commentary-va-can-lead-the-way-on-better-prosthetics-care-but-must-learn-from-past-mistakes\/","title":{"rendered":"Commentary: VA can lead the way on better prosthetics care, but must learn from past mistakes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Editor’s note: <\/b>The following is an opinion piece. The writers are not employed by Military Times and the views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Military Times or its editorial staff. <\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Complex injury, like limb loss, is a hallmark of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and developments in prosthetic technology \u2014 like the \u201cStar Wars\u201d-esque LUKE arm<\/a> \u2014 open the door to rehabilitation never before imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But while many veterans, including this piece\u2019s co-author, are grateful to receive advanced prosthetic devices from the Department of Veterans Affairs, they worry whether the agency can deliver this new tech efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although VA has integrated prosthetic care into its network, archaic inefficiency prevents the application of its full utility to our veterans. Rapid advancements in device technology come with stagnant access to care. Many veterans report delays in receiving prosthetic-related services, to include waiting for prosthetic devices to be ordered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Certainly, VA should be proud of its ability to provide veterans with the best prosthetic devices. However, this fact is often overshadowed by VA\u2019s need for a smarter delivery system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why the delays and failures? The reasons are, of course, complicated, but chief among them are rigid hiring practices and an inability to scale internal operations according to need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prosthetic internal operations include a complex demand of device manufacturing, clinical care and interdisciplinary integration and coordination. In the VA system, these barriers are paired up with clinicians who are overloaded with administrative work, forcing a stick into the spokes of what could be a well-oiled machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\t