U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is calling on Missouri veterans to continue participating in the successful “secret shopper” program aimed at providing oversight and accountability for area veteran 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 facility in St. Louis, McCaskill 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) with the aim to empower veterans to be “secret shoppers” within the region’s VA health care facilities so they can provide confidential feedback that will help improve care and customer service at such facilities, and enable VA officials to subsequently seek solutions where problems are identified.

One year later, the VA’s Inspector General released a report showing that the problems documented at John Cochran had largely been corrected.

“Our efforts at John Cochran delivered a win for veterans,” said McCaskill, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and daughter of a World War II veteran. “I am asking all veterans to help us to keep Missouri’s VA health care providers informed on both what they are doing well and where they need to continue to improve. Those who have risked everything to protect our freedoms have earned the best health care system we can provide.”

McCaskill has been a champion for military veterans since coming to the Senate in 2006 and was a founding member of the Senate Veterans Jobs Caucus. McCaskill was a leading advocate for the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, helped pass the 21st Century GI Bill to open up educational opportunities for veterans, and has repeatedly rallied support for additional care for veterans returning from combat duty.

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.