East Liverpool VA Clinic

"Punitive measures of the administrative kind can be issued. People fear speaking up, for good reasons. This is a powerful, well financed entity, and to boink its bug eyes is almost equilivent to boinking the bug eyes of the IRS. Since 1997, I could write a book on the abuses, just on me, a few more volumes for what I have seen, done to others, let alone the stories I have heard, through the years. Some good people in this system, most, not so good. Use this system, but, if you can afford it, go out of pocket to the private sector, while you still can. A complete old soviet style system is right around the corner, then, no non elite person will be safe. Orwell, even more relevent."

"The staff there are always very helpful and I can usually get in to see the Doctor within a few weeks. Sometimes they have open slots for the next day. I've never been screwed around by an VA bureaucracy here."

"At the least; it’s a three month wait too be seen.You have too travel in either direction an hour, just too be seen by the emergency room. It’s embarrassing too say that I rely on the VA for health care. Worst experience I have in civilian life."

"I have been dealing with the VA health care system since 1996. Today was my first time at this facility and it is the first time I have felt like I was being treated like a human being by the va."

"The Calcutta VA clinic is a lovely facility; modern, decorated nicely, friendly nurses, and very clean. However... it is not recommended. There are no x-ray machines on the premises, the blood lab is available only part time, and the physicians (Dr Tambouratsis especially) are aloof & incompetent. I am a retired physician and feel qualified to assign that judgement. While under Tambouratsis's care for hypertension (high blood pressure), I had constant bleeding from my nose for over 3 weeks for which I was referred to an outside doctor for cauterization. That doctor became instantly alarmed, demanding that I go by ambulance immediately to the local hospital ER as the nose bleed was actually spontaneous nasal hemorrhaging due to a lethal blood pressure of 190/168; with probable heart attack, stroke, & death imminent. Tambouratsis had been checking my pressure every two weeks for a year and always falsely reported 120/80 with a compliment to himself for his great results. When confronted with the facts, Tambouratsis said it was no big deal and suggested I read a book called The Grain Brain. The man is a total incompetent and could have killed me. I have since changed VA clinics, my medications are all changed, and my pressure is normal at 122/78. This man sees 8 patients a day, claims to be over worked, but is playing on his computer constantly. He needs to be removed. BTW, I contacted my congressman and Tambouratsis claimed it was all a misunderstanding, it was wept under the rug, and he remains in his comfy chair receiving $240,000 a year as a VA internist. Beware; the man is a quack."