WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released the following statement on the release of the Veterans Health Administration’s nationwide Access Audit. This audit was conducted to better understand what improvements should be made at the Department of Veterans Affairs with regard to scheduling practices.

This audit shows what we’ve known all along: Connecticut’s VA is a leader and uses best practices for scheduling veterans’ medical appointments. Ninety-three percent of appointments were scheduled within 14 days of a veteran’s request, and ninety-eight percent of appointments were scheduled within 30 days. Connecticut’s VA can always be better, but compared to VAs in other parts of the country, ours is on the right track.

However, big problems persist in the VA as a whole, and the Department must follow through on plans to reduce wait time and address fraud. It’s unacceptable that hundreds of scheduling staffers interviewed in this audit received instruction to tamper with a veteran’s scheduling record. The VA has enormous challenges ahead, and I urge the Department to work with Congress to make sure our veterans get the care they deserve.