Va augusta achieves all-time high 93. 1% patient trust scores | va augusta health care | veterans affairs

VA Augusta Health Care System has reached a monumental milestone by receiving the highest patient trust score in its history. From April 22 to May 22, 2025, an impressive 93.1 percent of

Veteran patients affirmed their trust in the healthcare system’s ability to meet their health care needs. This unprecedented score, drawn from 736 survey responses, reflects the profound

confidence that Veterans have in VA Augusta. Respondents answered a singular yet pivotal question: “Do you trust VA Augusta Health Care System for your health care needs?” “We are deeply

honored by the trust our Veterans have placed in us,” said Mike Carey, who leads the Veteran Experience Office at VA Augusta. “Most of us are either Veterans or spouses of Veterans

ourselves, so I think this high trust score speaks to how invested we are in caring for our own.” Several factors have contributed to the steady rise in Veteran patient trust scores at VA

Augusta, including a significant drop in new and existing patient wait times and the facility’s exceptional results from a February Joint Commission survey, resulting in the JC Gold Seal of

Approval and a 3-year accreditation. In addition, the Spinal Cord Injury Unit received exemplary feedback during a recent Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) site

visit and inpatient care has seen marked improvements, with VA Augusta’s national rankings moving from 90th to 38th in Inpatient Care Transition and from 110th to 63rd in Overall Hospital

Rating among all VA facilities. And VA Augusta staff are working to build on the trust Veterans have placed in them with plans for expansion of the VA Outpatient Clinic in Athens, Georgia,

the opening of a standalone Women Veterans Health Clinic to address the specific needs of its fastest-growing patient population, and a new state-of-the-art inpatient mental health unit, set

to open in 2025.  In addition, VA Augusta has started accepting involuntary psychiatric admissions, ensuring continuity of care within a Veteran-centered environment rather than referring

such cases to community facilities. “Our commitment to mental health is unwavering,” said Dr. Dustin Wright, Chief of Mental Health at VA Augusta. “By bringing these services in-house, we

are providing a seamless and supportive environment for our Veterans.” And care for Veterans extends beyond physical and mental health services, with VA Augusta offering unparalleled social

services. VA Augusta's Homeless Veteran program achieved national acclaim in the past year, ranking No. 1 in the country for permanent housing placement and No. 3 for preventing

Veterans from returning to homelessness.  “We are incredibly proud of our Homeless Veteran program,” said Sabrina Faircloth, the social worker who leads the program at VA Augusta. “Our

team's commitment to securing permanent housing and providing employment assistance has made a tangible difference in the lives of our Veterans.”