PLAINS TWP. — Russell Lloyd, who heads the Department of Veterans Affairs Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center, expressed his belief on Thursday that the center's staff have demonstrated their commitment to the veterans they care for.
“Trust is not a characteristic that can be demanded, but one that must be earned,” Lloyd stated. “Our staff is devoted to showing integrity, compassion, advocacy, respect, and excellence to our veterans. I'm pleased that our veterans acknowledge our dedication to their well-being and rely on us for their care.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs revealed on Thursday that confidence among veterans in Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center has increased to 94.3% — up from 87.9% in 2018 (the first year the VA started this survey). Additionally, trust in VA outpatient care nationwide has risen to 91.8% — up from 85.6% in 2018.
The results are derived from a survey of veteran patients who have utilized VA health care in the last 90 days. These veterans were asked within one week of using VA services whether they trusted the VA for their health care needs in various areas, including scheduling appointments, health care visits, in-person pharmacy, mail-order pharmacy, labs/imaging, and veteran safety.
Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacey Garrity, a veteran and critic of the local VA, commented on the VA survey results:
“More veterans than ever before now have access to VA care thanks to the PACT Act, and they deserve the very best care possible.
“I'm pleased that the Wilkes-Barre VA has implemented improvements at their facility after numerous requests from myself, U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, and U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, but there is still work to ensure that the courageous men and women who sacrificed so much for our great nation are looked after.
“Every veteran under the VA's care deserves nothing less than to be treated with dignity and respect and shown appreciation for their service.”
The VA stated that the survey reflects the conclusions of recent independent studies. According to Medicare's latest national survey of patients, VA hospitals scored better than non-VA hospitals on all 10 core patient satisfaction measures, including overall hospital rating, doctor communication, medication communication, and willingness to recommend the hospital.
VA health care has also consistently outperformed non-VA care in peer-reviewed studies, overall quality assessments, and affordability for veterans.
