Wilmington VA Medical Center host town hall in Dover

Veterans from across Delaware took to a podium in Dover Thursday to talk face to face with representatives from the Wilmington VA Medical Center. They were providing feedback on programs; and it was clear the lack of immediate responses for primary care needs is an issue.

Dave Skocik, a Vietnam Veteran and President of the Delaware Veterans Coalition, says, “If they have an infection or something that’s affecting their whole system, they need to be treated then and not given a week, or two weeks, or three weeks, or never because their calls are not returned.”  

Robin Aube- Warren is the director of the Wilmington VA Medical Center. She says there’s been a rapid increase in vets needing primary health care. She continues, “It’s been hard for us to keep up with that growth so that has caused some of the problems with access.”

She shared Thursday that all VA medical centers have set out to have same day access in primary care by the end of the fiscal year. That’s in September.

Aube-Warren says, “Same day access, not necessarily that they get to see the provider, but that they will have communication with the team to see if they need to be seen that day.”

The Wilmington VA has already hired Dr. Tanveer Qureshi as the new associate chief of staff for primary care services. He goes on, “It’s a real positive change that’s coming.”

However, it’s not here yet, but when it does, Veterans say another problem has to be addressed by then.

A Veteran standing at the podium in Dover says, “You call back and you get a computer. It aggravates me.”

Veterans say their phone calls for appointments are answered by automated recordings. Apparently, they can’t get an actual person on the phone. Aube-Warren says that should be fixed by September as well.

She goes on, “Every medical center is going to have an operational call center. We’re working towards that.”

They will have real people answering real health concerns. Aube-Warren says her team is listening, but these changes won’t be over night.

She continues, “We want to do it right rather than just quickly.”

Many Veterans expressed that the town hall could have been better advertised. If you’re a Veteran in need of medical services in Delaware, call the Wilmington VA Medical Center at 302-994-2511.