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Western South Dakota News

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

VA reports increase in number of February appointments scheduled at VA Black Hills HCS health facility in Rapid City

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The VA Black Hills Health Care System, subsidiary 568GA in Rapid City, South Dakota scheduled 3,702 pending appointments in February compared to 2,565 during the same period last year, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments this February, 3,395 had a wait time of 30 days or less (91.7%) and 307 appointments (8.3%) 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 or better to 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.

At a hearing before the House Veterans Affairs Committee after the report was released, Debra Draper, health care director at the GAO, said new patients may actually wait up to 70 days for an appointment when they first enroll for benefits.

The VA explains on its website that when veterans apply for benefits, they are assigned to 1 of 8 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.

VA Black Hills Health Care System - 568GA Appointments Scheduled in February 2020 vs. February 2019

Facility Code
Location
Total Appointments Scheduled in February 2020
Total Appointments Scheduled in February 2019
Percent change in number of appointments
568A4
Hot Springs
4,242
2,680
58.3%
568GA
Rapid City
3,702
2,565
44.3%
568GB
Pierre
885
998
-11.3%
568HA
Newcastle
27
32
-15.6%
568HB
Gordon
67
27
148.1%
568HF
Pine Ridge
21
20
5%
568HH
Scottsbluff
390
285
36.8%
568HJ
Mission
90
96
-6.2%
568HP
Winner
12
23
-47.8%
Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration

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