As a member of a military family, Veterans Day has always had a special place in my heart. I'll never forget the day I found out my father was a retired master sergeant in the United States Marine Corps.
I remember finding this old emerald-green trunk with brass trim in the back of our storage shed. I opened it and found a saber, uniform, and several old pictures of my dad in Vietnam, including one with Charlton Heston. It was that moment that sparked my passion for public service, and has led me to where I am today.
Like so many others, I had been frustrated by the news about the Department of Veterans Affairs and the many challenges it had been facing. My family experienced those challenges--living far enough away from a VA facility that my father and grandfather, also a veteran, were unable to take full advantage of the care and benefits they had earned.
I joined VA in April of this year because I wanted to be a part of the solution. I was absolutely blown away by the level of commitment and energy of VA employees, many of whom are veterans themselves.
Despite the negative stories we hear in the press, things at VA are improving rapidly. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Bob McDonald has been overseeing the largest transformation in VA history. The core objective of this MyVA transformation is to become No. 1 in the federal government for customer service by approaching each challenge and opportunity according to what is best for veterans and taxpayers. MyVA is shifting the culture of VA from rules-based to a principles-based organization. With over 350,000 employees across the world, it is going to take some time to get there, but we are already seeing irrefutable progress.
Veterans overwhelmingly agree that VA offers high-quality care and services. Access to those benefits has been VA's largest challenge. Two years ago there was a backlog of more than 600,000 claims. In just two years that number has dropped by 90 percent. In March, VA set a record for completed appointments; 5.3 million were inside VA. That's 730,000 more than two years ago in March 2014. And VA issued 268,000 authorizations for care in the community, twice as many as March 2014. This is due in large part to the fact that VA now offers a network of more than 350,000 community providers, a 45 percent increase in over the last year.
In September, over 90 percent of appointments were completed within 14 days, and over 22 percent were actually completed on the same day. At the end of September, veterans' average wait times for their completed appointments for primary care were less than five days, less than seven days for specialty care, and under three days for mental health care.
With input from veterans across the country, we have created a single website, Vets.gov, make it easier for veterans to enroll in benefits and health care. To give veterans, their families, and their caretakers yet another one-stop way to access VA information, we will be launching MyVA 311 (that's 1-844-MyVA311), the new national VA toll-free number for veterans and their families, this coming Monday.
Beyond the numbers, veterans are benefiting directly from the changes. Veteran homelessness, an issue plaguing our communities, is down by nearly half. VA is leading the nation in mental health and suicide prevention. One Veteran dying by suicide is too many, and we are committed to do everything it takes to get that number to zero.
These are just a few examples of the progress VA is making. We still have serious challenges to solve, and it will take time and a continued commitment from our employees, Congress, and veterans organizations to continue to build upon the progress we have made.
So this Veterans Day, do more than thank a veteran for his or her service. Get involved. If you are a veteran, visit your local facility, see the changes for yourself. And if you see a problem, let us know so we can address it. If you aren't a veteran, visit your local VA and found out how you can volunteer.
To my father, I am incredibly proud of you. Thank you for teaching me what public service is all about.
To our veterans, thank you for choosing to serve.
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Brandon Fureigh is an Arkansas native and senior adviser to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Editorial on 11/11/2016