Upper Cumberland Times

The Tennessee Valley Health Care System Tennessee scheduled 174,062 pending appointments across its locations during the period ending May 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments 158,550 had a wait time of 30 days or less (91.09%) and 15,512 appointments (8.91%) 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.

Location	Total Appointments Scheduled	Appointments Scheduled 30 Days or Less	Appointments Scheduled More than 30 Days
Nashville, TN	49,607	44,091	5,516
Murfreesboro, TN (Alvin C. York)	44,325	39,754	4,571
Dover, TN	1,459	1,406	53
Bowling Green, KY	4,773	4,516	257
Clarksville, TN	12,446	11,539	907
Chattanooga, TN	16,656	15,827	829
Tullahoma, TN	1,294	1,278	16
Cookeville, TN	5,588	5,432	156
Hopkinsville, KY	4,632	4,404	228
McMinnville, TN	2,054	1,999	55
Roane County, TN	2,230	2,187	43
Maury County, TN	3,423	3,291	132
Athens, TN	2,166	1,996	170
International Plaza, TN	4,221	4,077	144
Gallatin, TN	1,914	1,860	54
IDES Fort Campbell	26	26	0
Albion Street, TN	3,260	3,058	202
Charlotte Avenue, TN	5,570	5,386	184
Pointe Centre, TN	6,083	5,304	779
Glenis Drive, TN	148	143	5