Web site assists sick nuclear weapons workers in finding doctors to treat them

By Laura Frank, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Sick nuclear weapons workers are getting help in finding doctors to treat them, answering a longtime complaint of the workers.

Those who have been approved for medical benefits through the Energy Employees Occupational Illness and Compensation Program can go to the Internet site http://owcp.dol.acs-inc.com to search for nearby doctors.

Meanwhile, members of Congress continued to complain Wednesday about the compensation program, which has been under fire almost constantly since it was created in 2000.

This time, four members of Colorado's congressional delegation, all Democrats, sent a letter about the treatment of former Rocky Flats workers or their survivors.

Sen. Ken Salazar and Congressmen Mark Udall, John Salazar and Ed Perlmutter asked the U.S. health secretary and the labor secretary to reverse a decision that cut some sick workers or their survivors out of federal compensation.

"This is a clear example of (Department of Labor) changing the rules in the middle of the game and creating more bureaucratic red tape to prevent Rocky Flats plant workers from receiving compensation," the letter says.

The lawmakers asked the secretaries to tell them if they have authority to revoke the decision.

Their letter notes what happened to the two adult children of former Rocky Flats worker Mary Bock, who died in 1985 of cancer in her bones, lungs and brain.

Her children were notified that their family's case qualified for compensation. But last month, the rules were changed and the family's approval was revoked.

• April 17, 2008

  11:14 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  ABlock35 writes:

  As a former examiner, I personally experienced survivors dying before payments were issued. For me the reasons were clear, and in fact, I wrote an email to my manager (email sent from block.anne@dol.gov to kotada.kelly@gov.gov) informing him on why. As far as I know, Mr. Kotada never took any corrective action even after being informed; I know this because as a AFGE union employee, I would have been called to testify against this union employee in a Union Grievance Hearing, and I was not.
  
  Here's part of the problem. All examiners work must be reviewed by a senior examiner (even if, as in my case, the senior examiner is a college drop out) This is because a Director issues a Standard Office Procedure (SOP) mandating that all work be reviewed by a senior examiner first. So if a senior examiner, as in my case, decides not to review an examiner's work for 2-3 months after being logged to her, the chances of payments (or medical benefits) not being issued before a claimant dies increases. Common sense, right?
  
  I remember when Joyce Vail, Seattle's DOL EEOICP Operations Manager, came to my desk looking for a file and I told her that it was logged to my senior examiner months previous. I pointed Ms. Vail to this senior's desk where cases were piled so high you couldn't see out the window, and at that point she looked at me angrily and said " this is unacceptable" to which my reply was "yes it is but I have complained to Kelly about her and still nothing gets done and I am not sure why?" Over time, I came to believe that my manager was afraid of this senior examiner because she was good friends with Asst. District Director Tracy Johnson and she constantly filed union grievances.
  
  My former senior examiner is just one example of what happens when friends are appointed to positions for which they are not qualified to hold. There are a lot of ways to fix this program, but the most effective changes must come from the top down, because the SOPs and rule changes are coming from the top down. In my opinion, Pete Turcic ad Shelby Hallmark should be held vicariously liable for the actions (and inactions) of all the EEOICP directors.
  
  If this were a corporation, directors and employees who were not performing would have already lost their jobs. Why should we accept anything less from government employees? This is YOUR GOVERNMENT NOT THEIRS!
  
  I end this Blog with my favorite Proverb: "if good people do nothing, evil will flourish"
  
  Anne Block is a former examiner who worked at the Seattle DOL EEOICP Office, is a licensed WA Attorney, a 1st Amendment Defender, and a Writer. Anne K. Block welcomes all emails and interested in hearing from current and former federal employees (anonymously) and can be reached at lifeisgood357@comcast.net