Vets air out frustrations at Hampton VA forum

http://hamptonroads.com/2014/09/vets-air-out-frustrations-hampton-va-forum



Marine veteran Marshall Stipes, 25, of Suffolk stood among veterans gathered for a town hall-style meeting with Michael H. Dunfee, director of the Hampton VA Medical Center, and talked about his frustrations in getting care there Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2014.

Vets air out frustrations at Hampton VA forum
By Corinne Reilly
The Virginian-Pilot
© September 11, 2014

HAMPTON

Theodore Little, a Vietnam veteran, wanted to know why he is still waiting for answers and an outside cardiologist. It's been months, he said, since he suffered a heart attack because of missteps during a simple skin surgery at the Hampton VA Medical Center.

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In sum, the story aired by the dozens of veterans at Hampton's forum was one of a system overwhelmed.

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Between 2008 and last year, the enrolled patient load at Hampton rose by 13,000, to roughly 44,000 - a 42 percent increase. Over the same period, Hampton's staffing increased 18 percent.

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According to the latest VA data, new patients at Hampton wait an average of 41 days for a primary care appointment, 37 days for specialty care and 29 days for mental health care. Established patients wait an average of 30 days for primary care, 11 for specialty care, and 12 for mental health.