Letter to Robert M. Smith, M.D. Director, Veterans Affairs of San Diego - Request for changes and response to score declines

Letter

Dear Doctor Smith,

Ensuring our veterans get the best service and care possible should be the Department of Veterans Affairs' top priority. To that end, we appreciate your continued efforts in working to improve internal processes and procedures.

However, today we are writing to express concern about your Department of Veterans Affairs quality-of-care rating results for 2016. The results indicate a "large decline" in San Diego's year over year performance. San Diego County's VA health system was listed as one of only five in the nation marked as "declined" in 2016 performance scores. These results are unacceptable and signify that your branch of the VA has substantial room for improvement.

Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs must remain partners in ensuring that our veterans receive the highest quality of care possible in accordance with our obligations to our service members. As such, we request that you provide, in writing, what steps you are taking to address issues at Veterans Affairs of San Diego. Specifically, recent changes which were made in response to the rating, why those changes were made, and how they will help ensure system-wide improvements to our veterans' quality of care.

For any follow-up questions or concerns, please contact Bryan Maass at Bryan.maass@mail.house.gov or 202-225-2386.

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