Latest / Brian Thomas / CCVS Steve Balczo - Veteran's Services

Transcript

CCVS Steve Balczo - Veteran's Services · Brian Thomas

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: I see the talk station.
• 0:04
  Speaker 2: It's seven forty one here. If aty five, K see
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: the talk station. Probably time I was wishing everyone of
• 0:08
  Speaker 2: very happy Wednesday. Another invitation listener lunch debut rons ERUs
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: on the west side and kind of chuckling here and
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: Steve Belza from the Claimont County. He's the executive director
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: of the Clamat County Veteran Service Commission, to give us
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: an update. Traffic kind of a problem out there this morning.
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: Sta.
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  Speaker 3: You know what, I should have followed my own advice
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  Speaker 3: and taken my county transportation here, because those guys are phenomenal.
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: Well, the Climate County Veteran Services will take you to disappointment.
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: Maybe maybe as.
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: The executive director, I suspect you have an INN.
• 0:41
  Speaker 3: I do have an in, but I don't know that
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  Speaker 3: I will exceed the limits of the inn. However, noting
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  Speaker 3: their confidence and the routes of Cincinnati to get around
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  Speaker 3: versus mine and avoiding those large yellow containers that carried
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  Speaker 3: little people.
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  Speaker 2: In oh yeah, yeah, the school buses, especially if there's
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: even a rumor of a snowflake in the area, to
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  Speaker 2: the extent they're on the road. Absolutely, we are talking
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  Speaker 2: this morning about transportation services for the veterans, and the
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  Speaker 2: Claimont County Veterans Services Commission does offer transportation for veterans
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  Speaker 2: to get to and from their appointments. Steve, let's just
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: cut directly to the chase. How do veterans out there
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  Speaker 2: take advantage of the service? And this is for Claremont
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  Speaker 2: County veterans, correct, that's correct, Okay, I just the geographic limitations.
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: I think it's important because there are other Veterans Services commissions.
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  Speaker 2: Each of the counties has one, but not all of
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  Speaker 2: them offer transportation as I understand it, or.
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  Speaker 3: Do they well according to the High Revice Code, So
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: I don't want to answer for them, okay, But the
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  Speaker 3: Ohio Revice Code says that we will offer transportation services
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  Speaker 3: now that can come in the mode of owning our
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: own vehicles and transporting the veterans ourselves. Some counties have
• 1:53
  Speaker 3: hired third party contractors to move veterans to and from
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  Speaker 3: their appointments and obviously pay the fee. Sure, but it's
• 2:02
  Speaker 3: always free to the veterans. So we are subsidized by
• 2:05
  Speaker 3: county funds to do this.
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: It's just how do you do it? Okay?
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  Speaker 2: And the last time we talked about this. I thought
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  Speaker 2: your way of doing it was was a pretty darn
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  Speaker 2: good way because you these are your people, they are
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  Speaker 2: You're not contracting them out.
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  Speaker 1: Nope, No, every one of my drivers.
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  Speaker 2: No CDL out there for the person who can't read English,
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  Speaker 2: for example, that kind of thing they're vetting.
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  Speaker 1: So, yeah, ask me.
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  Speaker 3: Asking to pronounce cdo however, Yeah, it's yeah, it's it's
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  Speaker 3: a continental.
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  Speaker 1: Text a right.
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  Speaker 3: Nonetheless, it's too much fun, sorry.
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: Too much coffee. But we do. We have five vehicles.
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  Speaker 3: We recently added a new vehicle to the fleet because
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  Speaker 3: of the amount of veterans we have been taking to
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  Speaker 3: the VA and their appointments and since they've gone out
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  Speaker 3: to third party physicians to help reduce the backlog of
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  Speaker 3: appointments for veterans. Means that the Ohio Vice Code establishes
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  Speaker 3: for us. Really, this is the parameters of how my
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  Speaker 3: office is constructed, that we are to take veterans to
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  Speaker 3: the VA's hospitals area of responsibility and with the VA's
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  Speaker 3: called a vincent. Don't ask me what it stands for,
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  Speaker 3: but it's an area geographically but that includes Michigan, Indiana
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  Speaker 3: and Ohio.
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  Speaker 1: Wow.
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  Speaker 3: So if someone has to go up to the Cleveland
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  Speaker 3: clinic for a cancer and they're a Cleveland and they're
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  Speaker 3: Clemont County resident. I have an expectation to transport that person,
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  Speaker 3: oh my back right. So when you think about Uncle
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  Speaker 3: Joe and how are we getting them here? Aunt Sally
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  Speaker 3: does not need to be on the road for five
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  Speaker 3: hours right, one way, right, So we have an expectation.
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  Speaker 1: We work out ways.
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  Speaker 3: We try to do it in a one day shot
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  Speaker 3: if we can. However, we do have five vehicles we're
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  Speaker 3: taking to you to your VA appointments, even if it's
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  Speaker 3: outside the VA hospital or the community based OUTBATIONI clinic
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  Speaker 3: that we call a sea bok. It could be doctor
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  Speaker 3: Jones on the West side. We'll take you and bring
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  Speaker 3: you back home.
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  Speaker 2: That is a wonderful thing to learn. I had no
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  Speaker 2: idea that you went to that extra effort to get
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  Speaker 2: veterans wherever they need to be. What a beautiful thing
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  Speaker 2: it is. It's gott something every day in the morning show,
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  Speaker 2: and that's a new one for me. We'll continuous. De
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  Speaker 2: bels O from the Clinic Economic County Veteran Services learn
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  Speaker 2: fifty five KRCD talk station helping out the American Veteran
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  Speaker 2: gobless each and every one of you out there. I
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  Speaker 2: truly appreciate your service to our country. Of course appreciates
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: Steve Bells a service to his country and his ongoing
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  Speaker 2: service as the executive director of the Clarmont County Veteran
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  Speaker 2: Services and lo and behold. Yes, they will take you
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  Speaker 2: to your medical appointments and got their own five van fleet.
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  Speaker 2: They got eight part time drivers. They have been fully
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  Speaker 2: vetted and they are in fact paid for by the
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  Speaker 2: Climont County Veteran Services. Correct, that is correct, not subcontractors.
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: These are your guys. They unfortunately they have to work
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  Speaker 1: for me. No what I've got up?
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  Speaker 2: Come on, don't be self deprecating. Yeah, okay, I'm an
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: apply over there. When I get fired from this job,
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: it's either you or cover. Since y man, I'm gonna
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  Speaker 2: I gotta do something. That's yeah. Now, in terms of appointments,
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  Speaker 2: I is the VA. Do they have just like regular
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  Speaker 2: you know, Monday through Friday type appointments? I don't know how.
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  Speaker 2: I don't since I'm not a veteran. I have a
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  Speaker 2: scheduled appointment there. How does that work? And do you
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  Speaker 2: offer the services I mean? Or do they have appointments
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  Speaker 2: on the weekends at the VA. I'm wondering how you
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  Speaker 2: operate and whether that that's an issue on the weekends.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, so there's almost two spheres of how the VA operates.
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  Speaker 3: Their emergency room I see you is twenty four to
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  Speaker 3: seven regardless.
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  Speaker 2: Well, I would think an ambulance would take a person
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  Speaker 2: in trouble.
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  Speaker 1: That's right.
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  Speaker 3: As far as physicians appointments, much like your primary care
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  Speaker 3: physician out in town, it's traditionally Monday through Friday. They
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  Speaker 3: typically start at seven thirty. Appointments are usually done at four.
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  Speaker 3: That is at the VA center specifically. Okay, but the
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  Speaker 3: VA also having third party contracts out there with other physicians,
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  Speaker 3: speciales can farm you out on a note to say, hey,
• 6:04
  Speaker 3: you need to go see doctor Jones out in toown
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  Speaker 3: this great pediatrist for whatever. Right, so we will take you.
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  Speaker 3: Because the VA originated the appointment for the veteran, I
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  Speaker 3: got you that he may work until six pm. Okay, right,
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  Speaker 3: so we're gonna get you there and we're going to
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  Speaker 3: get you back home.
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  Speaker 2: Okay, that's what we need to know. Now, what about
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  Speaker 2: physical restrictions. I mean, I know you have quite a
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: few disabled American veterans out there. I mean I've seen
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  Speaker 2: them on honor flights, you know that's the reality. Are
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  Speaker 2: the vans equipped to handle folks with physical disabilities?
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  Speaker 3: So my vans are not. You must be what we
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  Speaker 3: say ambulatory. You must be able to maneuver on your
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  Speaker 3: own if you need any assistance to get into the vans.
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  Speaker 3: We have no wheelchair lifts or extra support to get
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  Speaker 3: you into and out of our vans safely. But what
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  Speaker 3: we have is in agreement with Claremont County Senior Services
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  Speaker 3: where they will take you in there chair lift vans.
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  Speaker 3: They're bigger vehicles and they will take you down to
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  Speaker 3: your via appointment and bring you back home.
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  Speaker 1: So there is a way to support.
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  Speaker 3: It just won't be by one of our vehicles.
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  Speaker 2: But you'll still facilitate the arrangement. Correct, Okay, well it's covered,
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  Speaker 2: then it's covered. I'm just getting ready to say there's
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: got to be some philanthropists out there is gonna say
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  Speaker 2: they need a wheelchair lift. Man, I'll buy one of
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: those for the Clambone County Veteran Services.
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  Speaker 3: Well, and what comes in and we've seen some hair
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  Speaker 3: raising drop offs at the VA of non ambulatary people
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  Speaker 3: and it's horrific when you see this stuff occurring, and
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  Speaker 3: it's usually by a third party transportation company. Just I
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  Speaker 3: don't care. I'm getting paid fifteen bucks an hour. I
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  Speaker 3: don't know what it is. But to watch somebody tumble
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  Speaker 3: over in a wheelchair because they're being dumb to hout,
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  Speaker 3: it's like, nope, wrong crew here, buddy. So it's also
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  Speaker 3: my drivers are typically retired, which is why they're just
• 7:50
  Speaker 3: part time drivers. Yeah, s't a little older, right, so
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  Speaker 3: mid seventies, low seventies. They don't want to be horsing around.
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  Speaker 3: No no, no, no, no, no no, Uncle Joe. Right, And
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  Speaker 3: so I don't need my drivers injured as well. But
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  Speaker 3: aside from that, we typically know whether we can get
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  Speaker 3: in and out of a.
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  Speaker 1: Vehicle on our own volition.
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  Speaker 3: Still, yet there are veterans who have Mama wants to
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  Speaker 3: come to the appointment with them, right, Uncle Joe's getting
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  Speaker 3: a little yeah, a little loose, right, yeah, and doesn't
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  Speaker 3: really cognitively understand what's going on, and mama wants to ride.
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  Speaker 3: We need to know if the spouse is going to
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  Speaker 3: be attendee because we need to arrange a transportation specifically,
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  Speaker 3: they might be picking up three people on the route
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  Speaker 3: to get down to the VA.
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  Speaker 1: Good right, because of that, we need.
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  Speaker 3: To know so we can coordinate if we can. And
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  Speaker 3: especially if there's a specialty that he's working into, dementia,
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  Speaker 3: I need to go with him to make sure he
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  Speaker 3: gets in and out of Okay, understand that. But there's
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  Speaker 3: also comes in how many veterans have a service dog.
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  Speaker 3: So when we start talking service animalgsespecially service dog, let
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  Speaker 3: me make.
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  Speaker 1: That distinction with the VA. What a companion is. It
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: is not a companion animal. It is not fuzzy Susie
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  Speaker 1: in your purse, my Liam companion animal. Companion animal.
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  Speaker 3: So a service dog must be trained to service three
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  Speaker 3: deficiencies that equate to the same three deficiencies of the veteran.
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  Speaker 3: And so many people say, well, it's a service dog,
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  Speaker 3: but what deficiencies of yours is your service dog tied to?
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  Speaker 3: So all these dynamics and then secondly, does Aunt Joe
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  Speaker 3: want to be in there with someone else's service dog?
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  Speaker 3: And she may be afraid because of a childhood of
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  Speaker 3: event a dog.
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  Speaker 2: But when the veterans schedule their ride or a loved
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  Speaker 2: one on behalf of it may be more disabled veterans
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  Speaker 2: schedule that you're going to ask them that question. They
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  Speaker 2: don't need to like, Hey, I'm bringing my mom or
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: I'm bringing my wife or I'm bringing my sister. Whatever
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  Speaker 2: you're going to ask him.
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  Speaker 3: Typically okay, they also need to bring out and most
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  Speaker 3: of the veterans we take no to tell us okay,
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  Speaker 3: and a lot of them we know personally.
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  Speaker 1: Anyways. Sure, so ubil the relationships. It is.
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: It is.
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  Speaker 1: The drivers probably really enjoy their job.
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  Speaker 3: Oh, I have more stories of fun conversations of just
• 10:09
  Speaker 3: let me tell you about this last guy I met
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  Speaker 3: right World War two Korean.
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  Speaker 1: Vet and just they just open up, yep, and they
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  Speaker 1: look forward to the rides.
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  Speaker 2: I'm sure they do commiserating with a fellow veteran. Get
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  Speaker 2: the right of the appointment. That's that's awesome. Steve Belzo,
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  Speaker 2: Executive director of the Klima Unty Veteran Services Office. So
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  Speaker 2: you've given all the information, all the fun facts, they
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  Speaker 2: will take you to your appointment. How do they reach
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  Speaker 2: you to do just that?
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  Speaker 1: Two ways?
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  Speaker 3: The simplest way is five one three seven three to two.
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  Speaker 3: Listen to this seven four seven one. That is the
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  Speaker 3: direct line to transportation seven three to two seven four
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  Speaker 3: seven one. However, you can go through the front desk
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  Speaker 3: perceptionist A five one three seven three two seven three
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  Speaker 3: six three and wait for the Transportation NOE that you'll
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  Speaker 3: dial through. But the five one three seven three two
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  Speaker 3: seven four seven one is the direct line to transportation.
• 11:01
  Speaker 3: Leave your voicemail to'll call you back there, busy folks.
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  Speaker 2: Just one of the many services the folks of the
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  Speaker 2: Klemont County Veterans Service Commissioner offering for the Klemont County Veterans.
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: Take advantage of them. Guys, you earned the health benefits,
• 11:13
  Speaker 2: you earned the respect of the community, and they're happy
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  Speaker 2: to give you a ride to that appointment.
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: Stee Bells will keep up the great work man, Brian,
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: Thanks for you lot, brother. Always love to seeing