Spark M. Matsunaga VA Medical Center

As a new retiree, I'm impressed with the level of care I've received so far. Everyone I've encountered has been extremely professional and dedicated. Keep up the great work!

NOTICE FOR THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE!!!!! If I could give no stars I would. I recently moved here in Dec 2020, and I called to get established care here in Honolulu in early January. I spoke to a friendly voice that said my account had been transferred over to the this region and that I should be getting a call from the admission office in the next few days to schedule my initial appointment. Fast forward to the month of Feb, I decided I needed to schedule an appointment because I was going to run out of meds and I knew I needed to be seen so I could set up community care. I went online to set up an appointment only to learn that I wasn't transferred to this region and that I was still in the North/South Carolina system. Afterwards, I called and got in touch with someone that said I was transferred to the Honolulu systems and they were transferring me to the admissions office so that I could set up my appointments. The admissions office didn't pick up their phone, so they took my phone number and said they would call me back. Now it is 1 March and I have called twice today and I am getting the same response. The ADMISSIONS OFFICE isn't picking up their phone and that is hindering me from getting any care here. I am low on my meds (I would be out if I wasn't sparing them for when I absolutely needed them) and I need to see many different specialty care for health issues, but because one phone cannot be answered in the VA center; my health and day to day life is suffering. I have tried to go about getting this done the right way, online and by phone but it seems as through this ADMISSIONS OFFICE doesn't come work. Offering to take my phone number and leaving the admissions office a note to call me, shouldn't be the only answer I'm getting from the VA representatives. The system shouldn't be this broken and that honestly I expect better.

It has been less than a year since I started using this facility and after five visits the service I received has always been exceptional. As with any organization treating the staff professionally and asking the right questions goes a long way towards receiving the excellent care.nOne aspect of using this center is if you are a veteran with a qualifying level of disability you may be eligible to file a travel claim for qualifying visits - something to look into. It is very important to understand the travel eligibility and what visits are covered. The standard government rate isn’t high but still 10 minutes of paper work and a stamp gets me 3/4 of a tank of gas. My experience with the travel claims department has been fantastic.

The last time I went was over 20 years ago. The doctor didn't listen to what I told him regarding allergies and proceeded to prescribe to medications that would've have killed me had I taken them. When a doctor doesn't listen to the patient regarding their allergies, it tends to make the patient not trust the establishment or the organization. What compounds the problem is that I was a medic in the military so I know what they are supposed to do and they're not doing it. When your alleged primary care provider basically tries to kill you with drugs you clearly stated you were severely allergic to it's time to NEVER return to that facility. I guess I should have known better since Tripler has the nickname 'Crippler' and it's literally right next door.

They will NEVER call you back. Don’t believe them.