Rome Reporter

The VA Atlanta Health Care System, subsidiary 508GL in Rome, Georgia, scheduled 2,178 pending appointments during the period ending July 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments, 2,100 had a wait time of 30 days or less (96.4%) and 78 appointments (3.6%) 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 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 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.

The VA explains on its website that 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 do not have service-connected disabilities and earn a higher income are placed in the lower priority groups.

Facility Code	Location	Total Appointments Scheduled	Appointments Scheduled 30 Days or Less	Appointments Scheduled More than 30 Days
508	Atlanta	60,362	51,972	8,390
508QF	Atlanta North Arcadia Avenue	28,328	25,458	2,870
508GA	Atlanta	15,136	13,991	1,145
508GE	Oakwood	9,716	9,465	251
508GK	Carrollton	8,126	7,495	631
508GH	Lawrenceville	8,119	8,015	104
508GG	Stockbridge	6,482	6,327	155
508GI	Newnan	6,034	5,955	79
508QE	Lawrenceville	3,378	3,365	13
508GF	Austell	3,353	3,162	191
508GO	Northeast Cobb County	3,211	3,171	40
508GJ	Blairsville	2,967	2,830	137
508GL	Rome	2,178	2,100	78
508QC	Atlanta	1,209	1,204	5
508QD	East Point	56	56	0

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration