VA Secretary visits Durham facility
DURHAM (WTVD) -- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs made a stop at the VA in Durham Thursday afternoon, one of the most troubled VA's in the country, according to a national audit.
A representative for the VA told ABC11 that Robert McDonald was there visiting with patients, staff and administrators. ABC11's requests for an interview or access to his visit were denied.
McDonald's visit to the Durham facility comes on the heels of his trip to Charlotte with President Obama this past Tuesday for the American Legion National Convention.
While he was there, McDonald told the crowd, "There's no question that this is a critical moment for VA. We have a lot of work to do to resolve the challenges we're facing."
Those challenges include addressing lengthy wait times for veterans and falsified appointment records. As the newly appointed Secretary, McDonald also said the agency needs to refer more patients to private doctors, and needs to hire more doctors, nurses and clerks specifically for the VA.
"I'm here to promise you that VA will get beyond its present difficulties and be the stronger for it," said McDonald in Charlotte on Tuesday.
Still, critics say much has to be done across the nation and here at home, where Durham's VA was listed as having the worst wait time in the entire nation for mental health visits.
At the time of the audit, the average wait time for mental health visits at the VA was 104 days. VA officials say the current average wait time is now 45 days.
Meanwhile, McDonald is scheduled to speak at the Duke School of Medicine Friday about recruiting initiatives to attract more qualified professionals to the VA.
