Hutch Today

The Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center, subsidiary 589G7 in Hutchinson, Kansas scheduled 2,109 pending appointments during the period ending October 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments, 2,060 had a wait time of 30 days or less (97.7%) and 49 appointments (2.3%) were scheduled more than 30 days out.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in January 2019 reported that wait times for new appointments at VA health care facilities were similar to or better than wait times at private-sector providers between 2014 and 2017.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO), however, released a report in July 2019 that cautioned that the VA's data-tracking system only captures part of the appointment process and fails to account for the time that it takes the VA to enroll veterans in its health benefits program.

The VA explains on its website that when veterans apply for benefits, they are assigned to one of eight priority groups, with those who need immediate care due to service-related disabilities placed in higher priority groups. Veterans who do not have service-connected disabilities and who earn a higher income are placed in the lower priority groups.

Facility Code	Location	Total Appointments Scheduled	Appointments Scheduled 30 Days or Less	Appointments Scheduled More than 30 Days
589A7	Wichita	34,248	32,465	1,783
589QC	South Parklane	4,638	4,463	175
589GW	Salina	3,327	3,300	27
589G7	Hutchinson	2,109	2,060	49
589G5	Parsons	1,377	1,358	19
589G2	Dodge City	968	948	20
589G4	Hays	892	875	17
589G3	Liberal	276	240	36
589MB	IDES McConnel AFB	4	4	0

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration