CNMI Office of Veterans Affairs Executive Officer Stanley T. Iakopo said services and treatment currently offered to veterans are substandard and catastrophic.
Through a revitalized relationship with the Veterans Affairs Pacific Islands Health Care System, or VAPIHCS, Iakopo said he has made decisions to help improve veterans’ access to care and benefits.
He has had meetings with VAPIHCS Director Dr. Adam Robinson and his team in Honolulu regarding interisland and international transportation, including reducing the veterans’ out-of-pocket expenses, as well as pharmaceutical costs.
The meetings also touched on credentialing Veterans Affairs healthcare providers and expanding veteran healthcare access through partnership with the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation.
“I have also addressed multiple concerns from veterans regarding the substandard service and treatment they’re receiving. For instance, veterans have been told by frontline staff that they were ineligible instead of taking the time to process and assist the veterans, which is basic customer service,” Iakopo said.
“Some veterans have shared with me personally that they received a denial letter with incorrect eligibility information, so they left the island and went to the [U.S. mainland] to seek a second opinion and filed an appeal, and was later granted eligibility status.
“What I’m seeing here is a pattern that’s systemic. These substandard services are adversely impacting our veterans, which can be catastrophic,” he said.
He added that the CNMI Office of Veterans Affairs, which is under the Office of the Governor, will continue to assist veterans and family members in seeking employment, medical and health issues in collaboration with the federal VA office.
From left, Veterans Affairs Pacific Islands Health Care System Chief of Prosthetics Ray Madrid, CNMI OVA Officer Bernadita Dela Cruz, Activations Program Manager/Facilities Management Peter Won, CNMI OVA Executive Director Stanley T. Iakopo, VAPIHCS Associate Director-Operations Devin Woods, Saipan CBOC Administrative Assistant Ruth Coleman, and VAPIHCS Strategic Planner Craig Oswald.
