Waiting times at a VA near you

Jun 10, 2014 | 2:48 PM

Waiting times at a VA near you — The Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Indianapolis was part of an audit of VA hospitals and clinics nationwide. The audit found that nearly 275 Indiana patients were still waiting for initial appointments at facilities in Indianapolis and northern Indiana 90 days or more after requesting them. (Darron Cummings / Associated Press)

Are you a veteran trying to get a primary care appointment at a Veterans Affairs hospital for the first time?

In Honolulu, you'll wait an average of 145 days -- longer than anywhere else in the country. The shortest average wait is 12 days, in Bedford, Mass.

Need to a see a mental health specialist? Average waiting times for new patients range from 17 days in Canandaigua, N.Y., to 104 days in Durham, N.C.

Using data released in a VA audit this week, The Times has created a searchable and sortable table showing waiting times and backlogs at VA health systems across the country.

Most patients already in the system can usually get appointments quickly -- often in a few days. More than 95% of the 6 million appointments currently scheduled were set for within 30 days or less.

But it's often a different story for veterans using the VA for the first time. They often wait weeks and sometimes months.

Check out your VA by clicking on the document at left.

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