WASHINGTON – Aiming to continue improvements to the quality of customer service at statewide VA facilities, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is asking Missouri veterans to continue participating in her successful “secret shopper” program that allows veterans to share timely, confidential feedback about their VA health care visits, and helps provide oversight and accountability for VA health care facilities.
Veterans seeking to participate in the Veterans’ Customer Satisfaction Program can visit
McCaskill’s website, www.McCaskill.senate.gov/VCSP, and complete the confidential survey.
In 2010, amid reports of problems with medical care at John Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis, McCaskill—the daughter of a World War II veteran—toured the hospital and met with administrators to discuss the urgent need for the VA to make improvements. Following the tour, McCaskill launched the Veterans’ Customer Satisfaction Program (VCSP), a confidential survey, to give Missouri veterans an opportunity to offer direct, confidential feedback on the quality of service they receive at their local VA facility.
Nearly 1,000 Missouri veterans participated in the last round of surveys, and the program is in its fourth year. The survey, recently expanded to the southeast Missouri region, is now active in four regions: St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, and Poplar Bluff.
“For me, the best way to find out if veterans are getting quality customer service has always been to hear from them directly,” said McCaskill, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “These surveys help give us a real snapshot of the quality of service Missouri veterans are receiving and provide an opportunity to offer meaningful, confidential feedback to us and to the VA on how those services can be improved—so we can work to ensure they’re receiving the high quality of service they’ve earned.”
As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Financial & Contracting Oversight, McCaskill recently introduced legislation that would mandate the firing of any VA employee found to have retaliated against a whistleblower. Currently, a finding of retaliation against a whistleblower is punishable by a range of actions, including fines and reprimand. McCaskill also introduced legislation with Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire to take back bonuses paid to employees at the VA who were involved in the manipulation of electronic waitlists.
Veterans seeking to participate in the Veterans’ Customer Satisfaction Program can visit McCaskill’s website, McCaskill.senate.gov/VCSP, and complete the confidential survey. Responses can be submitted after each health care visit.