An independent review of the VA hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, has identified at least 1,700 veterans who were not properly registered on waiting lists, putting them "at risk of being forgotten or lost." The report from the VA watchdog, released Wednesday, confirmed recent allegations that VA locations have been relying on sketchy scheduling practices amid treatment delays, some of which have resulted in the deaths of veterans. The average wait time for the first primary care appointment at the Phoenix center was 115 days, but the average wait time reported to the VA was just 24 days, the report found. VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, who has been asked to resign by many lawmakers, called the findings "reprehensible."
