The Seattle Times · Aug 6, 2015
Some things better, some worse a year after VA wait-time scandal
Veteran’s Administration official Pritz Navaratnasingam speaks about agency efforts to improve service in a presentation at the federal building in Seattle on Wednesday. (Bettina Hansen/The Seattle Times)Despite a big push to hire more staff, Puget Sound VA officials say average wait times for a primary-care appointment rose during the past year from just under eight days to 11 days.
But they have had greater success offering Western Washington veterans quick access to mental-health services. They say veterans typically are able to see a mental-health provider with little more than a one-day wait, far better than the national average of almost five days.