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.
These statistical snapshots released Wednesday offer regional insights into the problems and progress made over the past year since Robert McDonald, a West Point graduate and former Proctor & Gamble chief executive, became secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.