New Mexico's two senators are urging Acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Sloan Gibson to hire a permanent director for Albuquerque's VA hospital.
U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich said in a letter Thursday the hiring is needed in order to gain the trust of veterans and address serious problems with scheduling.
The letter comes as the VA deals with a national outcry over reports of long delays for treatment and medical appointments and of veterans dying while on waiting lists.
A new audit of Albuquerque's Veterans Affairs hospital released Thursday shows there were 353 veterans on the electronic waiting list, down from more than 1,040 a month ago. The list includes new patients for whom appointments cannot be scheduled within 90 days.
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