Following the recent release of an Associated Press report on continued delays in service at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities in the South, U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) voiced her dismay about the ongoing problem.
“As North Carolina is home to hundreds of thousands of veterans and remains one of the most military-friendly states in the nation, it’s frustrating to learn that veterans are still plagued with inconvenience in terms of access to care and lengthy wait times – even after equipping the Department of Veterans Affairs with billions in funding to shorten the wait lists at local VA clinics,” Ellmers said.
The AP report outlined slow wait times in a number of Southern VA facilities, particularly in eastern North Carolina, which includes Fayetteville and other areas within Ellmers’ Second Congressional District. It also cited that of the 75 clinics and hospitals determined to have the highest percentage of patients waiting more than 30 days for care, 12 are in Tennessee or Kentucky, 11 are in eastern North Carolina and the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, 11 are in Georgia and Alabama, and six are in the northern Florida area.
“Ultimately the VA’s lack of foresight and planning for these rapidly growing veteran populations is why we are in this situation to begin with,” Ellmers said. “Fayetteville remains one of the fastest-growing veteran regions in the country – growing at a pace that is almost four times that of the national average. Given the presence of both Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune, the high concentration of veterans seeking care from the VA in North Carolina is unlikely to change in the near future. The VA needs to acknowledge this trend and plan accordingly.”