Countless veterans depend on the VA for health care. But one veteran ended up with a hole in his face that has left a permanent scar, after he had to wait more than two weeks for a dental appointment. Despite meetings with top VA officials, nothing has happened to remedy the situation or ensure it won’t happen to others. Despite at least eight calls from his attorney, the VA has still done absolutely nothing.
This is the VA that many veterans sadly know too well, and whose horrible experiences go unaddressed and pushed aside far too often.
That’s the reality right now for Matthew Doc Perry, a Marine Corps veteran who was forced by the Providence VA Medical Center in Rhode Island to wait 19 days before he would be seen for an emergency dental procedure. He ultimately ended up with a 10-millimeter hole in the side of his face.