ATLANTA — A group of Georgia veterans is sounding the alarm about the VA hospital system in the state, saying it's failing them.
"Our health program is broke," said Joel Willis, a 23 year Army veteran, who has since committed his life to helping other veterans get the care and help they need.
"We have a lack of doctors, a lack of nurses," he explained. "We've had a couple of suicide attempts because they aren't able to see a physician.”
The wait time for new patients to be seen at Atlanta's VA is 72 days, compared to the national average of15 days. Some specialties even have waitlists over a year long.
“We have veterans going across the line to Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina," Willis said. "Why? Because our veterans feel that we're not getting adequate care here in our great state.”
For Vietnam Veteran John Bruss, seeking care with the VA has been an ongoing struggle for years.
“They said that I had an underperforming heart and they attributed it to Agent Orange," Bruss said. "But the problem is, it takes forever to get an appointment. I still haven't had a doctor assigned to me in three years.”
Bruss said the VA did set up one appointment with him in those three years: a phone consult.
"Being former military, I was on the call 10 minutes early," he said. "30 minutes after it was supposed to start. She never showed up. It's been a long, long road."
Jim Lindenmeyer, a 13 year Army veteran and service officer for the American Legion, said in Canton and other rural areas, it's even harder to find care.
“We have no mental health out here," he said, adding that some people have died by suicide within the last year.
Federal and state VA leaders meanwhile, attribute the disconnect and delays to staffing shortages.
“We should have some incentive packages put together to attract nurses and doctors," Willis added.
At the American Legion post in Canton, Willis and Linenmeyer are used to hearing constant calls for help.
“Every day we wake up, we get a phone call,” Lindenmeyer explained. “People saying 'I need help, what can you do?'”
Word has quickly spread about the small group as they try to help veterans navigate.
"The thing that keeps me up at night is why aren't other people wanting to help?” Lindenmeyer said. “We need help out here."
State and federal VA leaders have declined 11Alive's requests for an on-camera interview.