Congressman Brad Sherman

Representing the 30th District of CALIFORNIA

Congressman Sherman Releases Survey of Valley Veterans

Oct 20, 2014
Press Release
71% of Valley Vets Report Timely & Adequate Healthcare

Washington DC – A new survey released by Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) shows that veterans living in the San Fernando Valley area reported moderate satisfaction with their healthcare and benefits when seeking care at local VA facilities. The survey, which included nearly 150 local Valley veterans, found that 71% of respondents reported receiving timely and adequate healthcare. Regarding benefits other than health care such as disability benefits, vocational rehabilitation, or education and training, 64% of respondents reported being satisfied with the time it took to receive treatment and the quality of service. 

Those veterans who reported dissatisfaction with care were referred to Congressman Sherman’s constituent services staff who are now working to help resolve their healthcare and benefits issues.

“I conducted a Valley survey because official VA records in Arizona and elsewhere had been manipulated and falsified to give the appearance of shorter wait times,” said Congressman Sherman. “Our nation’s veterans deserve the best healthcare available. I am working to ensure that facilities in the LA area are suitable to fit the needs of veterans in our area, including helping allocate funds to the Sepulveda Ambulatory Health Care Center, and the West LA Health Care Center. There is much work to be done to correct these alarming trends in long wait times and backlogs at VA facilities, which is why I am working to help pass reforms that ensure greater transparency and better management of the VA.” 

The survey was conducted by mail and sent to veterans living in the South and West Valley. Some veterans also responded through an online survey, and through questionnaires distributed at public events. Only those entitled to veteran benefits were surveyed.

Nearly all of the respondents to Sherman’s survey sought treatment at either the Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center in North Hills or the VA West Los Angeles Health Care Center. These facilities faired equally well, each reporting about a 70% rate of satisfaction with regard to timely and adequate care. Regarding benefits other than healthcare, both facilities reported about a 62% rate of satisfaction regarding the time it took to receive treatment and quality of service.

Background 

Sherman’s survey comes after disturbing news reports on the Veterans Administration which revealed massive backlogs, insufficient care, and even systematic cover ups to conceal long wait times at veteran care centers. The VA initially reported average wait times of new patients to be around 24 days, but a review by the inspector general found those numbers to be far worse. 

An audit of the VA released earlier this year found that veterans who are new patients experienced an average wait time of 42 days to see a primary care doctor. Veterans who are already in the system waited an average of 5.7 days to see a doctor . However reports across the country show that thousands of veterans are experiencing wait times of over 90 days . 

In the LA, area veterans who hadn't used the VA in more than two years had to wait an average of 56 days for a primary care appointment and 55 days for specialty care. Patients who were already in the VA system in LA waited an average of four days to see a primary care doctor, six days for a specialist and two days for a mental health appointment . It took an average of 39 days for new patients in the LA system to see a mental health specialist. That was typical of facilities nationwide, where the waits for mental healthcare for new patients ranged 

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