NY Data: Most Vets Get Timely Visits

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas

Published June 9, 2014 at 9:12 PM EDT

Federal data show nine veterans' medical centers in New York scheduling 95 percent or more of their patients for appointments within 30 days, though hundreds are waiting longer at each facility.

The Department of Veterans Affairs report shows centers in the Bronx, Hudson Valley and New York City seeing all but 1 percent of their patients within the 30-day span.

Centers in Northport on Long Island and Canandaigua in the Finger Lakes schedule 98 percent of patients within 30 days: the rate in Albany and Buffalo was 97 percent.

The lowest rate, 95 percent, was reported for facilities in Syracuse and at Bath in the Southern Tier.

Data compiled May 15 indicates most patients were scheduled within the 14-day VA guidelines.

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New York News Department of Veterans Affairs

Dave Lucas

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.

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