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Robert J. Dole VAMC facilities schedule 17,821 medical appointments in December 2020

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The Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center in Wichita Kansas scheduled 17,821 pending appointments across its nine locations during the period ending December 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments 16,777 had a wait time of 30 days or less (94.14%) and 1,044 appointments (5.86%) were scheduled more than 30 days out.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in January 2019 reported 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 cautioning 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.

Debra Draper, health care director at the GAO, told the House Veterans Affairs Committee new patients may actually wait up to 70 days for an appointment when they first enroll for benefits.

The VA explains 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 don’t have service-connected disabilities and who earn a higher income are placed in the lower priority groups.

Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center in Wichita Pending Appointments Scheduled in December
LocationTotal Appointments ScheduledAppointments Scheduled 30 Days or LessAppointments Scheduled More than 30 Days
Wichita, KS (Robert J. Dole)14,27213,417855
Dodge City, KS3513501
Liberal, KS56551
Hays, KS38835632
Parsons, KS42541312
Hutchinson, KS5205146
Salina, KS7377298
South Parklane, KS1,068939129

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