Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, released the following statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released the results from its Nationwide Access Audit of veterans health facilities.
“Today’s report paints a serious and disturbing picture of the VA’s system-wide failure to provide timely access to care for our nation’s heroes. I am especially concerned by the number of facilities that serve Washington state veterans that have been flagged for further review and investigation. This information confirms what I have been hearing from so many veterans who are struggling with extended wait times in the Pacific Northwest.
“These are not new problems, but I hope today’s data will spur continued bipartisan momentum as we work to pass the Sanders-McCain compromise. Finalizing this legislation is a critical step toward addressing some of the immediate accountability and access concerns plaguing the VA. In addition, as further investigations and reviews are completed, we need to keep working to ensure the VA continues to take substantive action to address any management, resource, and personnel shortcomings that have contributed to today’s findings.”
The VA Access Audit and Fact Sheet on the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 20, which includes Washington state facilities, can be found here.
Today, the VA also released information Senator Murray has been requesting as part of her ongoing call for transparency, including: medical center quality and efficiency data and mental health provider survey data.
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