Congressman Reid Ribble
Congressman Reid Ribble (R-Sherwood) stopped by the new VA clinic in Green Bay Wednesday afternoon to talk with officials about any problems or delays they may be having. The stop is in response to major delays at some VA clinics across the country that led to several deaths.
The congressman from northeast Wisconsin says the local VA clinic is doing all right. Ribble says depending on the specialty, there are some wait times as long as eight or nine months at the local clinic.
“Fortunately Wisconsin is not as bad as some other parts of the country — in both quality of care and wait times — but the wait times are still too long.”
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is investigating more than 40 VA facilities across the nation for neglect. There hasn’t been evidence indicating any problems at hospitals in Wisconsin.
Ribble is proposing a bill that would allow military veterans to choose between going to the VA clinic or their own doctor to help reduce wait times.
Rick Schuh, WHBY