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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Oregon Senate approves bill to increase minimum wage ... Jackson County pot regulations in limbo ... Last hours of armed standoff play out online for listeners ... Oregon Senate approves bill to increase minimum wage ... Jackson County pot regulations in limbo ... Last hours of armed standoff play out online for listeners ... OUR VIEW Our View: So far, so good at local VA clinics Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Aug. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News A little more than a year after audits of the Veterans Affairs Department's medical facilities reported widespread problems and delays in getting appointments for patients, the Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinics in White City has improved its performance. But the biggest obstacle was the local health care industry, not the VA system, and that hasn't changed. In May of 2014, news reports of veterans who who died while waiting for doctor's appointments in Arizona sent blast waves through the VA and touched off a national scandal. In Arizona, VA staff were found to have falsified records to make it appear patients were being seen faster than they really were, and 13 percent of staffers nationwide said supervisors had told them to falsify reports. SORCC came in for its share of scrutiny, too. No falsified records were found here, but wait times for appointments were too long, especially for specialists and mental health treatment. Congress responded with legislation to increase staffing, and that has improved the performance of the White City facility, according to officials there as well as patients and a county veterans group. In June, 97.46 percent of patients received an appointment within 30 days of the veteran's requested date, which was an improvement of about half a percentage point over the 2014 audit. Also, veterans say they are generally more satisfied with the customer service they receive now, thanks to beefed up staffing. Because SORCC is not a hospital, many services must be obtained in the Medford area medical community, and the lack of specialists affects veterans just as it does civilian patients. Waits of several months are not uncommon, and there is little VA officials can do about that. Still, average wait times have improved incrementally there, too. More work remains to be done to make sure veterans get the best medical care possible, a small price for the country to pay in return for their service. Our local VA facility appears to be moving slowly, but in the right direction. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501