Denver VA hospital, clinics rate below average on wait times

Statistics from the federal government show the Denver VA hospital and its satellite clinics rate below the national average on wait times for doctor appointments.

The Denver Post reported Thursday nearly 14 percent of veterans seeking care in the VA’s eastern Colorado region had to wait a month or more after their preferred date to see a doctor.

The national average was nearly 7 percent.

Clinics in Colorado Springs and Pueblo had the highest rates of long waits in the region, with more than 20 percent of veterans waiting at least a month.

Denver VA hospital Director Lynette Roff says the long waits in Colorado Springs and Pueblo were caused by staff shortages. She says replacements are being hired.

Both cities have large populations of veterans.