Earlier today, the American Legion released its 2012 System Worth Saving Task Force Report, which surveyed Veterans from 25 VA medical centers and 24 veteran town hall meetings in American Legion posts about quality of care and patient satisfaction at VA facilities. The overall grade from Legion? “Excellent.”

Facility executive leadership, patient safety managers, patient advocates, and women veteran Veterans program managers were among those surveyed on the VA side. American Legion also conducted interviews about their experiences. Some concerns raised were localized, like wheelchair accessible facilities. Some were broad; Veterans at the Nashville VAMC suggested departments would benefit from information sharing, which is a priority for VA at a high level.

The whole report is worth the read to see what we do well, and what areas we need to improve. If you aren’t enrolled in VA care but want to see for yourself, you can determine your eligibility here and apply here. And if the words from Legion members aren’t enough, get the facts straight about the myths of VA care.