01/27/2024
To keep up with “unprecedented growth” in demand for VA health care under the PACT Act, VHA is running “access sprints” to increase appointment availability across three areas of care — cardiology, mental health and gastroenterology.
However, wait times for mental health care appointments, depending on the location, have either held steady at about 21-22 days, or increased, despite VHA's record hiring of mental health clinicians in FY 2023.
The agency hired more than 4,200 mental health clinicians from outside the VA health care system. Those include more than 670 psychologists, more than 350 psychiatrists and more than 1,400 mental health social workers.
“Overall, the American health care system does not have enough mental health clinicians, which is why we’re trying to do a lot of work in building that pipeline,” VA Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal said.
Read more about the VHA's push to provide more access to medical appointments below.
The Veterans Health Administration is looking to raise workforce productivity, after a record year of hiring, and increase the number of health care appointments available to patients.