Houston VA: How long is too long for care?

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The nation has been outraged over mounting reports showing long waits for veterans at VA centers around the country - and in some cases it appears officials were cooking the books to make wait times appear shorter.

The FBI said this week it has launched an investigation into the Veteran Affairs Department over the allegations.

A national wide-ranging audit of VA centers released this week didn't show Texas sites fudging numbers, but it did show that some Texas VA facilities have some of the nation's longest wait times for initial visits.

One facility, in Cameron County, reportedly had a 145-day average wait for patients to see a specialist.

Houston veterans, though, largely fare better.

According to Houston VA officials, 48 percent of new patient appointments for primary care are seen within 14 days; 61 percent of new mental health appointments are seen within 14 days.

Indeed, for veterans already in the system there are few better centers in the system.

For those, getting an appointment can be quick. Seeing a primary care physician can take only a day or two, statistics show.

For new patients in Houston, though, the audit shows waits of 44 days to see a primary care doctor, according to the audit.

In the Rio Grande Valley, care takes longer, with an average wait time of 85 days to see a primary care doctor.

For some specialized care, waits in Houston can be longer compared to other parts of Texas: up to 58 days in some cases.

That's longer than in San Antonio with a 43-day wait times, but better than in the Valley which shows wait times for specialized care at the 145-day mark.

For mental health, VA patients in Houston show 39-day wait times.

Houston VA officials cautioned that wait times are complex and don't always show the full story.

For example, a veteran can make an appointment today for three weeks later, and the stats show a three-week wait time, according to Christopher Sandles, associate director of Houston's VA Medical Center.

"We've historically prided ourselves on being efficient," Sandles told ABC-13.

The audit is the first nationwide look at the VA network in the uproar that began with reports two months ago of patients dying while awaiting appointments and of cover-ups at the Phoenix VA center.

A preliminary review last month found that long patient waits and falsified records were "systemic" throughout the VA medical network, the nation's largest single health care provider serving nearly 9 million veterans.

"This behavior runs counter to our core values," the report said. "The overarching environment and culture which allowed this state of practice to take root must be confronted head-on."