Last week, we shared information on a comparison tool at the Veterans Affair's Access to Care site, which shows that when it comes to infection rates, the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center performed better or worse than others in the area, depending on the location of the infections.
Chief of Staff, Dr. Deepak Mandi, says they're working on it.
"I can assure our veterans that the medical center is working tirelessly to get these numbers down. And if you're admitted to our medical center, we will ensure that we'll do everything in our means to keep this infection rate down."
Click Here to see the most recent walk-through of this tool.
A number Mandi wants to bring up is the percentage of patients who have been given the flu shot.
The CDC recommends that older adults, like those our parents ages, get immunized, but the West Palm facility is only at 63 percent. As you can see (below), the regional average is 97% and Palms West Hospital in Loxahatchee has a 100% in that category.
Dr. Mandi says they're working on this as well.
"The flu can be a deadly disease, particularly the older veterans, so we want to get a lot of our veterans immunized. At the medical center, we have flu clinics. We partner with CVS and others to make sure the veterans can go in the community and get the flu immunization. We do a flu campaign."
Keep in mind, these numbers are for a period of time from October 2015 through March of 2016.
The comparison tool also shows the overall ratings of area hospitals and the local VA shows up just below the regional average and well below the national average.
Click Here to check out the comparison tool.
Dr. Mandi says he's noticed a big difference in the care of veterans since the problems first reported at Veterans Affairs facilities around the country a few years ago.
He tells us that if your parent is a vet, you can trust the care he or she will receive.
"I can assure our veterans, this is a place I would bring my dad for care. We work very hard to maintain our quality care."
Dr. Mandi also says the hospital is looking for volunteer physicians and others who have some free time.
Click Here to find out more about volunteering.
If you are a veteran who wants to enroll for care at the VA West Palm Beach, call 1-800-353-8262.
Cover Photo: Getty Images
Images: Dept. of Veterans Affairs & West Palm Beach Veterans Affairs Medical Center