My experience with VA has been from atrocious to excellent, depending on the individuals and the facility. In recent years the service has improved hundreds of percent but the capability of some of the medical team makes me wonder where they get these people.

One thing you might not know is that the physicians on staff do not have to have a state medical license. Some get their degrees overseas and apply for jobs with the federal government. Federal employees do not have to have state licenses. So, we take our chances on the ability and capability of people trained in medical schools that do not have the same scrutiny as here in USA. That's not to say that every USA trained person is capable either, just that there is not the oversight as some of the domestic systems.

You've probably already engaged your congress person. VA gets a lot of congressional inquiries, but they still hate to deal with them, and a congressional inquiry usually gets attention. (Only if you've gone through the procedural steps - otherwise, VA simply replies that you have to jump through the hoops and that you've missed one ... then your congress person has no leverage). So ... if you've done all you're supposed to do and still don't get results, contact the congressperson. My apologies for ranging about this if you've already engaged them.