Oceanside VA Clinic - Oceanside, California

ama B.

No medical system is perfect, far from it actually. And although I’ve had negative experiences at the VA hospital in La Jolla, I really like the Oside clinic for routine appointments. You can’t get quick appointments here, but once you have one, the appointments are on time with no waiting. The lab is quick with no appointment required. The ultrasound dept is thorough. The records dept does its job. The doctor of gynecology is fantastic, but they need a back-up because when she’s unavailable, there are no appointments. My primary care doc is overloaded, but her nurse follows up on issues, and I’ve come to prefer her over the doc. Prescriptions are quick to arrive (mail order only though). However, the podiatry clinic needs more docs because it takes 5 - 6 months to get seen (and when your feet hurt, it’s hard to wait half a year to be treated). Overall, as someone who’s been to various medical systems in northern San Diego (e.g. Scripps and Palomar), I’m most happy with VA Oceanside for care. For now anyway.

Alejandra D.

Everything was fine the first year I started seeing them but as I continue to use their services coming on 2 years it has become a stressful and headache inducing task to schedule, keep or contact staff at this location. I feel they have dropped the ball many times in different departments. It’s unfortunate since they are so close to me. I’m even thinking of going to the La Jolla or Kearny Mesa locations at this point to see if I can actually be helped. VA needs to do better. I’m so disappointed.

John K.

I was misdiagnosed by the PA twice there. I came in for knee pain; he offered to give me a bottle of asprin. 8 months later I had knee surgery for a torn meniscus. I saw him again a year later for a cold sore on my lip.I said I thought it was lichen planus. He said it was either skin cancer or herpes. I went to an oral surgeon who did a biopsy ; it was lichen plantus. The motto of this place should be"We dont give good service; just lots of it"
;

Allen B.

This review is dedicated to fellow vets who have also received shoddy service at any VA Health Care locations in California, with the hope that VA management will fix the problems sooner rather than later. I moved to Oceanside in 2013 and planned to use the Oceanside, CA health care facility as the primary place to seek medical care in my retirement years. On my first visit to the Oceanside location, two employees at the front desk looked and acted lost and could not answer simple questions. As I approached the sign-in desk to see the doctor, I was met by an employee who was eating a burrito (with mouth wide open) while working in plain sight of vets (customers) in the waiting area. Not very professional behavior, I thought at the time. The doctor I met provided adequate service, but every other contact I had with VA employess there were substandard and they seemed to have an off-putting know-it-all and condescending attitude when speaking with vets. That was the last time I sought care at a VA facility- ever! With the reviews of this facility I just read, I see that not much has changed since my experience in 2013, and that is a crying shame for the vets who go there for their "earned" regular and urgent medical care.

Mike K.

Dear Directors,

I am writing to formally file a complaint regarding the treatment I received at the Oceanside VA Clinic on August 8th, 2024. The actions of your staff and the responding firefighters have not only violated my rights but have also caused me significant distress.

On the mentioned date, I arrived at the clinic seeking medical attention for a condition that necessitated the involvement of emergency services. Due to the absence of an ER at your facility, firefighters were called to assess my condition. After evaluating me based on a questionnaire, the firefighter advised that a hospital trip was unnecessary. Despite this, they insisted that I sign a release form indicating I refused transport to the hospital. I requested the form's verbiage be changed to reflect the truth—that it was their recommendation not to transport me—but this request was denied. This practice of misleading documentation is unacceptable and deeply troubling.

Furthermore, as I was leaving, I requested my vital paperwork to obtain a second opinion from a private doctor. During my discussion with my doctor, I noticed one of your police officers, a short Hispanic man named Officer Morilla, following and standing too close to me. When I asked him to give me space and respect my privacy under HIPAA regulations, he refused, claiming his status as a federal employee and veteran. This was irrelevant to my request for privacy. Officer Morilla then called for backup, escalating the situation unnecessarily. Officer Bisch arrived and attempted to taze and arrest me for disorderly conduct instead of de-escalating the situation. This treatment was entirely uncalled for and violated my rights.

According to the "Veterans Health Administration Rights and Responsibilities of VA Patients and Residents of Community Living Centers," all VA patients have the right to be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect. This includes receiving care in a safe environment and having personal freedoms respected. My experience at the Oceanside VA Clinic on August 8th clearly violated these principles. Specifically:

1. Nondiscrimination and Respect: I was not treated with dignity, compassion, or respect as an individual. Instead, I was subjected to misleading practices by the firefighters and an unnecessary escalation by the police officers.

2. Health Information and Privacy: My privacy was not protected. Officer Morilla's actions were a clear violation of my HIPAA rights. I explicitly requested privacy while discussing my medical condition with my doctor, yet my request was ignored, leading to further distress.

3. Partnering in Care: The actions of the firefighters in attempting to coerce me into signing a misleading release form violated the principle of involving me in decisions about my care. I was not given the opportunity to agree to or refuse treatment based on accurate information.

4. Concerns or Complaints: I am now exercising my right to seek help and file a complaint regarding these incidents. I expect a thorough investigation and appropriate action to be taken against those who violated my rights.

I would like to formally file complaints against Officer Morilla and Officer Bisch for their inappropriate actions and violation of my rights. I also wish to praise the third officer, whose name I do not recall, for his professional conduct and respectful treatment during the incident. Additionally, I am filing a complaint against the firefighters who attempted to coerce me into signing a misleading report.

I expect a thorough investigation into this matter and appropriate action taken against those who violated my rights. Your staff must understand that they are dealing with veterans who have made significant sacrifices for this country and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,
Eric

Jim W.

Obviously for prior duty & retired military members & family. Usually not very crowded, but most most facilities require appointments

Douglas S.

Horrible sevice, the employees hide in dark stations.Good luck getting anybody on the phone, one can only leave a message. I drove 30 miles to the clinic so I can update my card. I was told by the La Jolla call center that they perform that service at the Oceanside Clinic. Maybe they do, but nobody I spoke with had any idea how to adress my needs...

Contract employees at the VA, not a good idea...

Erik H.

Gratitude for the caring professional staff at O-side VA
Genelle Teeter worked with me for hours and could not have been more helpful. Liz added giving me an EKG on top of her required duties. Dr Hauseman and her nurse Kathy ensured I got my pre-surgery med screening completed (mostly). I feel tremendous gratitude for the kindness and professionalism I recieved.
With respect, Erik Huber LMFT
HMC SEAL USN/Ret