Letter: There is reason for hope at VA

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

With all the tar-and-feathering of the Veterans Administration, there are individual facilities that do decently serve veterans. Given that the VA is a huge government bureaucracy that is underfunded and understaffed, some facilities are unfortunately abysmal (St. Louis, West Los Angeles and Phoenix come to mind).

However, my experience with the George E. Wahlen Salt Lake Veterans Affairs Medical Center has been extremely positive. As a Vietnam veteran, the SLC VA is my primary health care provider. I get excellent care, a responsive staff, and appointments made timely. So please take that into consideration when you hear all the negative news about the bad apples. The director of the SLC VA facility, Steven Young, was sent to the Phoenix VA to clean up their mess. Additionally, the new director of the VA, Robert McDonald, graduated from the University of Utah with a background in management. There is hope.

Neil H. Olsen

Holladay