JULIET LINDERMAN
Associated Press

BALTIMORE (AP) — Acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Sloan Gibson met with administrators in Baltimore to outline strategies to improve lengthy wait times for veterans seeking medical assistance in Maryland, where a recent audit showed the average wait time is 81 days for new patients seeking a primary-care doctor.

During his visit to the VA Medical Center in Baltimore on Tuesday, Gibson said a budget allotment of $500,000 toward connecting veterans awaiting care with outside physicians able to offer prompt treatment, as well as the hiring of five new primary care physicians into the VA system, will help ensure timely medical care for veterans in Maryland.

Gibson, who was appointed to the position 18 days ago, says his priority is getting veterans off waiting lists and into clinics.

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