Springs VA Clinic fastest growing in nation

According to staff members at the Colorado Springs VA clinic, the facility is the fastest growing in the nation.

The clinic has seen a 33 percent increase in new patients since it opened in 2014.

Since June of 2015, the clinic completed more than 16,000 appointments for new patients with an average wait time of 32 days.

On Thursday, the VA of Eastern Colorado’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Dr. Harold Dillon said the clinic’s top priority is better access to care for veterans across Southern Colorado.

“The people who weren’t getting in, weren’t getting care that they deserve,” Dillon said. “Access is an imperative. But at the same time, we have to improve our access but we cannot allow the quality of our health care to decline, it can not.”

VA data shows the average wait time in appointments for existing patients is eight days.