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Middle Tennessee VA health facilities report modest performance gains

tennesseevalley.va.gov

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (OSBORNE)  --  The troubled Veterans Administration is out with its yearly assessment and Middle Tennessee’s VA facilities are reporting modest improvements.

 The VA’s annual performance study ranks 25 quality measures; everything from death rates to patient wait times.

 

Nationwide, more than half of all VA facilities saw improvement over the last year. The mid-state’s Tennessee Valley System moved up from a one star rating to two stars out of five.

 

Jennifer Vedral-Baron directs the work of the Tennessee Valley facilities. She’s especially proud of advances by the mental health unit.

 

“A year ago a veteran could have waited days and days and days to get in. We (now) have same day access across the system for mental healthcare.”

 

East Tennessee Congressional Rep. Dr. Phil Roe heads the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.  In recent years Roe has pushed the Veterans Administration hard to make improvements and make them quickly.

 

A medical doctor himself, Roe says the VA still has a long way to go, but also says he’s pleased with this year’s progress report. He tells WMOT he’s especially happy with the Middle Tennessee facilities.

 

“They’re to be given a shout-out. Obviously, the staff and leadership there are working very hard to improve, not only the quality of the care, but the experience that the veteran has there.”

 

Vedral-Baron says she sees those patient satisfaction scores as a high priority and an area that still needs to see significant improvement.

 

Would you like to review the latest VA performance scoresfor yourself?