A nationwide review of more than 730 Veteran’s Affairs medical facilities was released on Monday. The audit showed that more than 57,000 veterans have been waiting at least 90 days to see a VA clinician.
The report took a wide-ranging look at wait time data and scheduling policies at more than 730 VA medical facilities.
The largest wait time numbers were found among new patients waiting for a specialist appointment. The El Paso, Texas, facility reported the longest wait in the region, with an average of 90 days, followed by Albuquerque’s VA medical center where patients waited about 57 days for their first appointment.
New patient waits for primary care physicians were slightly better in the Southwest. Some of the longest times were found in Arizona, where patient waits topped 55 days in Phoenix and Prescott.
In a statement, Acting VA Secretary Sloan Gibson says the findings reveal “systemic problems” that need to be addressed immediately.
Overall, veterans groups are happy to see the information released. But Dan Caldwell with Concerned Veterans for America said the numbers can’t be completely trusted.
"This is an agency that has a serious issue with telling the truth," said Caldwell. "That’s why I’ve said that with this report coming out, while it does confirm that a lot would be believed, the VA can’t be completely trusted to audit itself, and, in fact, the situation might be a lot worse."
In the Southwest, several VA medical centers were tagged for further review after this investigation, including facilities in Las Vegas; Prescott, Ariz.; and Albuquerque.