Last July, most new patients at the VA Medical Center in La Jolla had to wait an average of 44 days to see a doctor.
That was par for the course at Veterans Affairs facilities nationwide.
Angered by reports of long delays for care, Congress got into the act. Last August, it gave the VA medical system an extra $16.3 billion to hire more physicians and open new clinics.
A new report from the Associated Press shows things have improved at the VA Medical Center in La Jolla.
It reveals on average between last September and this January, less than 3 percent of patients had to wait a month to be seen.
VA Medical Center Chief of Staff, Dr. Robert Smith, said the numbers are encouraging.
“It means that the bulk of patients whom we are seeing are being seen in a timely fashion," he said. "But I don’t want to lose sight of those people that weren’t seen as timely, or who wanted to see somebody sooner.”
Smith explained the VA has hired more doctors, opened a new clinic in Sorrento Valley, and now offers evening and Saturday appointments.
He said the improvements have translated into easy access to primary care. But Smith conceded that specialty care is harder to come by, especially in the area of physical therapy.
