Dear VA Maryland Health Care System E-News Subscriber:
Yesterday, the Department of Veterans Affairs released results from the Nationwide Access Audits, along with facility level patient access data, for all VA health care facilities throughout the country in response to the ongoing investigations regarding allegations of inappropriate scheduling practices at some VA medical centers. I am pleased to report that the Access Audit for the VA Maryland Health Care System found no inappropriate scheduling practices and had no significant recommendations. As an organization that is dedicated to high ethical standards, this is something we can all celebrate.
As you might have already seen in the press, the VA Maryland Health Care System was listed as having the fourth longest wait time for new patients to receive primary care appointments as compared to other VA health care facilities. While we did an outstanding job in the wait times for existing patients with an average wait time of 4 days for a primary care appointment and with 96 percent of all patients scheduled for appointments within 30 days or under, we need to improve the wait time for new patients to receive a primary care appointment. To immediately improve the wait time and to better serve the needs of our new Veteran patients, we have implemented the following actions:
- We are hiring additional primary care providers and support staff to improve the wait time for new patients to receive a primary care appointment throughout our health care system.
- We have re-introduced Saturday primary care clinic appointments at the Baltimore VA Medical Center.
- We are contacting all new patients who are waiting more than 90 days for a primary care appointment to offer them an earlier clinic appointment in a VA Maryland Health Care facility or with a community partner.
- We are reviewing, evaluating and prioritizing patient needs on a daily basis to ensure that we are addressing any urgent needs of our Veteran patients.
As the Director of the VA Maryland Health Care System, I apologize for the wait time for new primary care patients to receive an appointment throughout our organization. I recognize the stress that the long wait time may have caused for new Veteran patients, and we will do whatever it takes to ensure that patients are seen in a timely manner. Please know that we will continue to work to correct systemic problems in accessing VA health care for all Veteran patients throughout the state. It is our duty and privilege to provide Veterans the care they have earned through their service and sacrifice. This is a duty we take very seriously.
While we are proud of the quality health care we provide to those who served in the armed forces and the commitment of our dedicated employees, we recognize that there are always opportunities to improve. We want to assure you that we remain committed to providing quality, safe and compassionate health care to Maryland’s Veterans.
For questions or for more information, please email us at VirtualHelpDesk@va.gov.
Thank you for allowing us to serve your health care needs.
Dennis H. Smith
Director, VA Maryland Health Care System
