No VA Clinics In California Nab Top Department of Veterans Affairs Rating
The scale is based on factors such as mortality rate, infections caused at the hospital, wait times for care and the efficiency of call centers.
San Diego Union-Tribune:
San Diego VA Hospital Is A 3 Out Of 5 In Secret Rating System
The San Diego VA health care system is a three out of five on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ own rating scale. The VA’s rating system, which has been secretly in place for several years, was revealed in a USA Today story on Wednesday after the newspaper obtained internal VA documents. ... In California, the Los Angeles VA health care system was the lowest performer, with a one rating. Only 10 of the VA’s more than 140 health care systems scored the lowest rating. Seventeen facilities rated a five — none of them in California. The bulk of VA medical systems scored twos and threes. (Steele, 12/7)
USA Today:
Internal Documents Detail Secret VA Quality Ratings
The Department of Veterans Affairs has for years assigned star ratings for each of its medical centers based on the quality of care and service they provide, but the agency has repeatedly refused to make them public, saying they are meant for internal use only. USA TODAY has obtained internal documents detailing the ratings, and they show the lowest-performing medical centers are clustered in Texas and Tennessee. (Slack, 12/7)