Those watching television news coverage of a panel discussion surrounding the controversy at the Phoenix Veterans Hospital last week may have seen Judi Beischel sitting near the center of the panel.

A Fountain Hills resident, Beischel is State Commander for the American Legion. She has long been active and associated with American Legion Post No. 58.

The panel last week was put together by the national System Worth Saving Task Force. The meeting had more than 200 attendees with 60 people stepping forward to tell their personal stories during a four-hour session.

“We said at the beginning we were going to give every veteran who wanted to talk a chance to speak, and we did,” Beischel told The Times.

She said the task force listened and took copious notes. They continued with a review inside the hospital.

The task force is visiting a number of VA sites across the nation and it will be a couple of months before they have a report, according to Beischel.

There has been an awareness of problems for some time, Beischel said. They are now coming to a head with allegations of up to 40 veterans who died waiting for an appointment with a VA doctor.

“Things are coming out we had never heard before,” Beischel said.

She does not know where the number 40 associated with deaths came from. However, she said she has heard up to half a dozen stories directly from those involved.

“We need to start at square one and see what all of the issues are,” Beischel said.

One point she made is that the Phoenix VA Hospital has only one urologist in a key position. He is supported by a couple of other doctors.

Beischel said this is not adequate when you are dealing with Vietnam veterans who have been exposed to Agent Orange.

It does not seem to be an issue with the vast majority of medical staff. The doctors and nurses are dedicated to their patients and the work they do, according to Beischel. Nor does it seem to be an issue with money. People in Washington, D.C. say there is no issue with funding.

Arizona U.S. Senator John McCain, a well- known veteran himself, has been very involved and vocal in addressing the issues.

Beischel said she was present at a meeting with McCain and the former director of the Phoenix VA Hospital. The senator asked directly what was needed and was told nothing.

Beischel said that did not sit well with McCain.

“People just cannot get in for an appointment,” Beischel said.

She said she knows of one person who was referred to the VA and his appointment is a year out.

The policy that calls for anyone to be seen with 14 days is ineffective. Beischel said that when someone calls to sign up they will be seen within 14 days, but from that point the time is extended while a primary care physician is assigned and it goes farther out before the patient will get an actual appointment.

There just doesn’t seem to be enough doctors in the VA system. There are good doctors in the system, according to Beischel.

When asked why veterans using the VA system are not permitted to find their own primary care physician, Beischel said she does not know.

“It would make sense to me,” she said.

She noted it can take about six weeks to get an appointment with a primary care physician outside the system.

Beischel said she and other state officials supported a resolution proposed by the national American Legion Commander calling for the resignation of VA Director Eric Shinseki.

“It has come to the point where we need to get to the bottom of it,” Beischel said. “It needs to be a system where the veterans can feel confident they will get to see a doctor in a timely manner.”

She said there needs to be legislation that holds the heads of the hospitals accountable, not provide them with bonuses.

“Veterans are frustrated, they don’t know where to turn,” Beischel said. “Veterans are not getting the help they need.”