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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency services, April 18 Medford police seek new rules to stop sales of stolen goods Struggling to stay on track Central Point considers new fees for parks, school police People in Business Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services, April 18 Jurors see shocking conditions of accused serial killer's farm Emergency services Argument over stolen guns led to first shooting, Monica says Monica takes rare opportunity to cross-examine a witness in her double-murder trial Politics and Elections Arthur I. Cyr: Cuba’s enduring challenge to American foreign policy – and American politics Gov. Brown touts need for transportation funding in talk to Medford chamber Kent Bush: Clinton 2.0 is neither new nor improved Arthur I. 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Brown touts need for transportation funding in talk to Medford chamber Erickson shores up business with three contracts Lithia Motors shares break the $100 mark Agriculture New bosses take charge at Harry & David Dancin Vineyards covers up Broth maker leaves San Diego for Medford Opinion Latest Other Views: State Board of Education dragging its feet over Native American mascots Matthew T. Mangino: Mass incarceration enters the national consciousness Our View: Impeachment should be an option Letters to the Editor, April 17 Michael Gerson: Obama is desperately seeking a legacy Editorials Other Views: State Board of Education dragging its feet over Native American mascots Our View: Impeachment should be an option Our View: Gun background check bill is worth passing Our View: Don't expect a fix for I-5 viaduct through Medford anytime soon Our View: Minimum wage boost is no panacea Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, April 17 Letters to the Editor, April 16 Letters to the Editor, April 15 Letters to the Editor, April 14 Letters to the Editor, April 13 Columns Matthew T. Mangino: Mass incarceration enters the national consciousness Michael Gerson: Obama is desperately seeking a legacy Arthur I. Cyr: Cuba’s enduring challenge to American foreign policy – and American politics Kent Bush: Memories of Oklahoma City bombing still fresh 20 years later George Will: Sustainability gone wild Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Removing barriers to walking, biking benefits everyone Guest Opinion: Conversion therapy on LGBT youth is child abuse Guest Opinion: Pot opponents have good reason for concern Guest Opinion: If Courtney kills bill, $15 minimum wage will go to the ballot Guest Opinion: Phoenix embraces Bee City USA designation Lifestyle Latest stories Official hopeful whooping cough case at John Muir contained 6 trout to know App Finder: Best Earth Day apps Health Watch: How to avoid the dreaded weight-loss plateau Fishing Report: Friday, April 17 Food Tammy Kelly: Soft-shell crab is in season Community blog: Orange-blossom water enhances honey syrup High on flavor, low on calories: Cookbook offers tasty options for people trying to eat healthier Prudence Hilburn: Test-kitchen products become ‘secret’ specialties Community blog: Leave fruits whole for crumbles in a time crunch Home and Garden Carol Link: Tea olive shrubs can be propagated from new growth 12 ways ceiling fans keep you comfortable and save cash Dear Monty: Profiting with adaptive re-use Paul Rogers: Schedule your time wisely Home Help: 3 upgrades to help give your bathroom spa-like panache Health Official hopeful whooping cough case at John Muir contained Health Watch: How to avoid the dreaded weight-loss plateau Book Notes: A big body is not a bad body Go get physical Community blog: Better Living By Design: A Symposium You Must Not Miss Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs: Friday, April 17 Religion briefs: Friday, April 10 Religion briefs: Friday, April 3 Religion briefs: Friday, March 27 Milestones and Achievements Charlesworth-Murphy Drizzle doesn't dampen Pear Blossom Parade spirit New Arrivals: Sunday, April 12 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Five picks for entertainment this week L.A. rockers The Relationship play Howiee's Joanne Rand at the Unitarian Fellowship Rogue Valley Symphony and 3 Leg Torso mingle classical with modern chamber music Third Fridays celebrates poetry, student art Theater Ashland New Plays Festival chooses new artistic director A tale of two plays at OSF Oregon Cabaret Theatre's "The Musical!" delivers five clever Broadway parodies in Ashland OCT stages 'The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)' Auditions for youth musical set at Camelot Music Alex de Grassi and Andrew York play SOU Live Music in Local Clubs L.A. rockers The Relationship play Howiee's Joanne Rand at the Unitarian Fellowship Rogue Valley Symphony and 3 Leg Torso mingle classical with modern chamber music Community Events Third Fridays celebrates poetry, student art 'BRAND,' 'Western' among Ashland Independent Film Festival award winners Ashland Co-Dependent Film Festival 2015 Pear Blossom Festival kicks off in Medford Ashland Independent Film Festival announces 2015 lineup Dining Siam Cafe offers 'mild' to 'very spicy' Thai cuisine Restaurant inspections, April 12, 2015 La Tapatia offers authentically delicious cuisine RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS: Sunday, April 5 The Laughing Clam in Grants Pass offers seafood-heavy menu Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Jurors see shocking conditions of accused serial killer's farm ... Monica claims she never acted on murderous thoughts ... Governor Brown says Oregon 'back on track' in State of the State address ... Jurors see shocking conditions of accused serial killer's farm ... Monica claims she never acted on murderous thoughts ... Governor Brown says Oregon 'back on track' in State of the State address ... VA clinics statewide can't compete with private sector By Jeff Barnard The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Jeff Barnard The Associated Press Posted Apr. 12, 2015 @ 2:00 am By Jeff Barnard The Associated Press Posted Apr. 12, 2015 @ 2:00 am » RELATED CONTENT • CHART: Veterans' wait times at Oregon VA facilities • Staffing shortages keep vets waiting at SORCC » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> GRANTS PASS — Wait times for Oregon veterans seeking medical care have been slow to improve as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs struggles to hire doctors and nurses. Frustrations competing with the private sector to fill 174 newly authorized positions in the Portland area have been compounded by the city's status as one of the fastest-growing VA medical service areas in the nation, said VA spokesman Daniel E. Herrigstad. Despite no active-duty military bases in the area, Portland is seeing a 7.3 percent increase annually in new patients, compared to 2 percent nationwide, Herrigstad said. "It's just one of those things," he said. "We have a lot of folks moving out to this part of the country, many are veterans, and many are signing up" for medical care. The Associated Press examined waiting times for appointments at 15 VA medical facilities in Oregon as part of a nationwide look at how the agency has been doing since a scandal over delays and attempts to cover them up led to the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki and prompted Congress last August to pass the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act. It is difficult to quantify exactly how things have changed. The VA introduced a new method for measuring wait times at the end of the summer, making it impossible to compare published wait times now with the data VA was releasing last spring. But government data from Sept. 1 through Feb. 28 is clear: Wait times at four medical facilities in the Portland area that account for about half the veterans appointments statewide have not improved consistently, and in some cases have gotten a little worse. At the worst of them, an outpatient clinic in Salem, 5.5 percent of the 20,000 appointments completed exceeded the VA's goal of waiting no more than 30 days to get care. That's roughly double the nationwide average of 2.8 percent — enough to rank the clinic among the nation's worst performers when it comes to delayed care. The best of the four, the Portland VA Medical Center, missed the goal 3.6 percent of the time on nearly 162,000 appointments. An outpatient clinic in West Linn was 4.1 percent and an outpatient clinic in Portland was 4.2 percent. Second worst overall was an outpatient clinic in North Bend, with 4.7 percent. The best statewide was the La Grande outpatient clinic, which reported that only two of the nearly 4,100 appointments completed took longer than 30 days to complete. Former Marine Corps truck driver Greg Helstrom, of Lebanon, has been having trouble scheduling an MRI to see what is wrong with his shoulder. "Waiting for specialty stuff takes a long time, but as far as your normal checkups and stuff like that, it all goes good," he said. That feeling is echoed by Frank Blair of Springfield, an Army infantry vet who served two tours in Vietnam and now helps vets navigate the medical bureaucracy as an accredited service officer for the American Legion and Vietnam Veterans of America. "It's specialty clinics everybody is having problems with," he said. "You can build a lot of facilities, but can you staff them?" New facilities were coming on line even before the scandal. The Salem clinic opened last year. A new clinic in Eugene is scheduled to open next year. And the Roseburg VA Medical Center has a new residential care facility for dementia patients. But hiring personnel remains a problem. In the Portland area, the 174 positions the VA is trying to fill includes 29 physicians, 50 nurses, and 58 support personnel, Herrigstad said. Roseburg is recruiting 44 new people, and is starting a system to offer patients video consultations with medical staff in Boise, Idaho, but it's having trouble finding staffers who want to live in a rural area, spokeswoman Debbie Mican said. AP writer Sheila Kumar contributed to this report from Salem, Oregon.   By Jeff Barnard The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Jeff Barnard The Associated Press Posted Apr. 12, 2015 @ 2:00 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » 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. 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 Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs 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. 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