08/15/2026
From the payed:
VA Secretary Doug Collins
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1KBVTvKAYR/
We are quickly approaching hour 48 of dad missing.
Cincinnati VA Medical Center FAILED US in a big way.
Here’s a breakdown of what happened and why I have contacted Congressman Andy Barr’s office. Congressman Andy Barr
Wednesday at 6:05 am, dad walked out of his room and made it uncontested it out of the VA hospital in Cinci. He has dementia/Alzheimer's and history of wandering.
His bracelet caused an alarm to go off when he left the wing he was in. This alarm was ignored for 8 minutes before staff realized what it was (this was admitted to me by nursing and security staff) and why it was happening. He is seen on camera leaving the campus at minute 5 of that alarm.
Wife and I received 6 calls wednesday morning between 6:30 and 8:00 looking for him, and we started getting worried. Finally at 8:15 we get the official word he is missing, and that police are being called.... 2 hours later....
VA police and CPD filed a report, that falsely said VAPD and an unnamed KY agency was working it. I was told a BOLO was being issued and silver alert would follow at roughly 0900, this turned out to be a lie.
I get to the VA at 1100, because it's 2 hours away from the house, and call an all hands on deck meeting with the social services and patient advocates office, who drug down all the doctors, nurses, and security that were on then. I started gently, but the reaming went home, especially since I told them I had already been in constant contact with my Congressman's office over another issue with the Lexington VA and placement that led him to be there in Cinci, to expect a call. I make a facebook post of him missing and blasted it while waiting for those folks to get in the room. The Social Services office has been the best I have ever dealt with, but otherwise, less than impressed to say the least.
I start roaming the streets of cinci at that point, and looking anywhere I can think of. Neither of Dad or I know the city, so I don't know his mindset, and I was wandering aimlessly I felt.
1400- get a call from my aunt Shanna Craft who had been calling hospitals/shelters, etc, that she had not seen a bolo or silver alert. I call Cinci PD, they say they aren't tracking it, so I call VA PD and they said they would look into it.
1430 - VA PD calls back and said the police report was mishandled, and it had said a KY agency was taking it. He asserts he will open a new police report and get correct info going
Dad has now been walking/loose for 8 hours, and he has a history of 10-18 miles in a day in his condition.
1500 - I arrive back at the Cinci VA and see squad cars, so I go and talk to them in the VA PD office.
1600 - BOLO finally goes out
1800- Silver Alert finally goes out, new stations carry it, my facebook post had been shared over 300 times, and I finally eat for the first time all day because it is p**s pouring rain, and my college buddy had driven up to help me search. Love you Dennis Walsh, thank you.
1900-2100, look all we can until dark and I have to head back to KY.
Detectives from Cincinnati Police Department called me yestersay morning, they have him on a few cameras, but with the storms the past 2 days there are a lot of power outages and traffic cams that went down. I decided I needed to go to work instead of driving myself insane trying to drive around a city I don't know in an ever-widening circle until we have a more pinpointed location to search. Congressman Andy Barr's office has been responsive, and I may start looking into a federal tort over this, and lord help them if he gets hurt during this.
The VA hospital staff and security admitted they failed to follow protocols and did a poor job responding, and I wish I had that recorded.
I just want my dad safe and sound, but the frustration in the VA that wasted the most critical 12 hours after this event is ever-growing. U.S Army W.T.F! moments
Cne Williams
