Atlanta’s VA hospital and four other facilities in Georgia have been flagged for review in a process designed to root out “willful misconduct” in the scheduling of appointments, according to a statement released Monday by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The statement did not indicate what type of misconduct, if any, was suspected at specific facilities. But it said investigators have found manipulation of records throughout the troubled veterans health care system designed to make wait times look shorter than they actually were.
The VA has been under fire in recent weeks over revelations that thousands of veterans waited as long as several months to be seen by doctors. Data released by the agency Monday showed a mixed record at the Atlanta facility, with new patients waiting weeks or months while established patients waited only a few days.
New patients waited an average of 64 days for primary care, 53 days for specialty care and 27 days for mental health care. Established patients waited an average of five days for primary care, four days for specialty care and two days for mental health care.
In addition to the Atlanta hospital, facilities flagged for further investigation were Savannah, Dublin, Augusta, and Smyrna/Austell.
About the Author
