The goal is to complete these exams within 30 days from the date Veterans Health Administration (VHA) receives the exam request.
Starting this week, W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center in Salisbury is taking on a growing backlog of compensation and pension (C&P) exams during what staff term a “blitz” of three one-week sessions.
The hospital, along with eight others in the VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network, is dedicating up to 80 percent of its primary care appointment schedule to the exams March 7-11, April 11-15 and May 9-13.
Not only are troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, LaPuz said, but Vietnam veterans also are re-applying for benefits. Last year the list of conditions presumed to be tied to Agent Orange exposure was widened to include ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, hairy cell or other B-cell leukemias.
The VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network, which includes all of North Carolina and parts of Virginia and West Virginia, is the only VA network in the nation using the “blitz” method to clear its backlog. The network is behind on about 4,000 to 5,000 requests, LaPuz said.
For more information about compensation and pension examinations or the W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center, call 704-638-9000.
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