Concerns Rise Over VA Hospitals in SC

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been the target of a nationwide scandal involving failures to provide veterans the treatment they need in a timely fashion. One medical facility receiving a great deal of attention is the Phoenix VA Health Care System, where it was revealed that patient wait times were falsely reported. A recent report on the VA health system focuses on allegations against the Phoenix VA and confirms that inappropriate scheduling is a serious problem throughout the Veterans Health Administration.

The report reveals the following:

• Veterans at the Phoenix VA Hospital waited an average of 115 days for their first medical appointment.
• Wait times at the Phoenix VA were 91 days longer than the hospital reported.
• 1,700 veterans waiting for primary-care appointments didn’t appear on the official electronic wait list, which placed them at risk of becoming lost in the system.

South Carolina VA Hospitals

Long wait times have also been a problem for VA hospitals in South Carolina, including the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston. According to a recent article in The Post and Courier, some veterans waited more than 100 days for their appointments. Despite these delays, the Charleston VA has denied using secret wait lists used by other VA facilities.

Whatever the case may be, these failures have had real consequences – the VA has acknowledged that as many as 23 patients at VA facilities across the country may have died because they didn’t receive treatment in time. This includes one alleged death in the VA hospital in Charleston, six in Columbia, and three in Augusta, GA.

Although investigations into VA problems are continuing, reports of veterans waiting for months and the possible deaths resulting from delays have created a national scandal. Complaints from lawmakers, public officials, and Americans across the country have even sparked VA Secretary Eric Shinseki’s resignation on May 30.

Support for Veterans

George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers is a firm owned and operated by someone who knows what it means to serve and sacrifice. Our founding lawyer, George Sink, was a Marine Corps Captain who served two tours of duty in Vietnam. For Mr. Sink and our entire legal team, the treatment veterans have received at VA Hospitals in Phoenix, South Carolina, and all other parts of the country is simply unacceptable. We hope that this issue will be quickly resolved.

You can find more information about veterans disability on our website.