Jonesboro Times

The Poplar Bluff VA Medical Center, subsidiary 657GG in Paragould, Arkansas scheduled 2,229 pending appointments during the period ending December 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments, 2,225 had a wait time of 30 days or less (99.8%) and four appointments (0.2%) were scheduled more than 30 days out.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in January 2019 reported that wait times for new appointments at VA health care facilities were similar to or better than wait times at private-sector providers between 2014 and 2017.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO), however, released a report in July 2019 that cautioned that the VA's data-tracking system only captures part of the appointment process and fails to account for the time that it takes the VA to enroll veterans in its health benefits program.

The VA explains on its website that when veterans apply for benefits, they are assigned to one of eight priority groups, with those who need immediate care due to service-related disabilities placed in higher priority groups. Veterans who do not have service-connected disabilities and who earn a higher income are placed in the lower priority groups.

Facility Code	Location	Total Appointments Scheduled	Appointments Scheduled 30 Days or Less	Appointments Scheduled More than 30 Days
657A4	Poplar Bluff	13,928	13,065	863
657GH	Cape Girardeau	4,013	3,901	112
657GI	Farmington	3,569	3,526	43
657GF	West Plains	3,131	3,068	63
657GG	Paragould	2,229	2,225	4
657GV	Sikeston	1,708	1,665	43
657GW	Pocahontas	679	678	1
657GN	Salem	216	214	2

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration