Local veterans may be encouraged with some recent news. The Buffalo VA Medical Center has made a "large improvement" in overall quality.
The Veterans Health Administration reviewed the performances of more than 140 VA Medical Centers across the country. The Buffalo facility on Bailey Avenue earned three stars out of five for 2016.
Dr. Grace Stringfellow, the Medical Center's Chief of Staff, says one factor is the low turnover rate among nurses.
"We have nurses that have been with us 30 and 40 years that just really know our veterans and take wonderful care of our veterans," Stringfellow said.
"We have providers that are veterans themselves. So veterans taking care of veterans is always wonderful."
Stringfellow says the team at the Buffalo VA has made a lot of improvements in a number of areas, including mental health services, length of stay, and its acute-care mortality rate. She says the Medical Center cares for nearly 50,000 veterans across Western New York annually.