Terence Robinson had to wait five months for surgery at the Veterans Administration hospital in Atlanta to remove painful bladder stones.

As the scandal widens over wait times at VA hospitals nationwide, the Atlanta medical center stands out among the worst. It had the third longest average wait time — 56.5 days — for new patients, according to a report by USA Today. Nashville had the longest, 65 days. Fayetteville, N.C., was second at 56.8 days.

“It’s just a hassle. Appointments six months apart. C’mon,” said Billy Darby, president of the Cumming Vietnam Veterans of America. “They talk to you like a dog.”

More of the same from Navy veteran Jack Shaft, 65, who said he had to wait three months for a procedure.

“Why do I have to wait three months?” said Shaft, who lives in Atlanta. “They don’t care. They basically don’t care.”

Subscribers may read the full report on myajc.com.

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Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

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