Congresswoman Lois Frankel issued the following statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released the result of their internal audit of scheduling practices at VA hospitals and clinics nationwide. 

The report said that 63,000 patients were waiting to be scheduled for care nationwide, and that 13 percent of VA schedulers reported being instructed to falsify reports about appointment waiting periods. The Palm Beach, Broward and Miami clinics were not included among VA facilities requiring further audit of their scheduling policies.

“I am pleased to see that none of South Florida's Hospital veterans’ hospitals or clinics were included in those that require further audit due to questionable scheduling practices. With that said, there needs to be a careful review of all facilities to make sure that they have the policies and resources necessary to give our veterans the care that they have earned and deserve. This means that Congress has to step up to the plate and pay for the wars of recent years. It will also require expanded access to private healthcare providers,” Frankel said.

Among the recommendations the VA is making as a result of the internal audit,

• The VA will seek better ways to obtain patient satisfaction data,
• It will hold senior VA leaders accountable,
• The VA will remove the 14-day scheduling goal for returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans - which had led to scheduling falsifications,
• They will increase transparency to the public,
• There will be an independent, outside audit of scheduling practices,
• Deployment of mobile medical units will seek to assist veterans awaiting care.

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