WICHITA, Kan. -- Wichita has been recognized as the top city in the nation for Veterans’ health care, according to Trajector Medical’s 2025 rankings. This prestigious accolade highlights the Robert J. Dole VA’s exceptional performance in providing timely, high-quality care across primary, specialty, and mental health services, setting a national benchmark for Veteran care.
The Trajector Medical study analyzed more than 1,800 data points across 132 VA hospitals to determine how U.S. cities serve their Veteran populations. Wichita led all cities with a perfect overall score of 100, based on a combination of low wait times, high patient satisfaction, and superior hospital care quality.
“Speaking for Dole VA, the Wichita community has done an outstanding job of working together to improve access to and quality of care for our Veterans,” said Michael Payne, Dole VA CEO and medical center director. “As the hub of care for Veterans in our area, we are proactive in improving, and that includes building a strong network and great partner relationships.”
Among its most notable achievements, the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center ranked first nationwide in access to specialty care, with several standout metrics:
• Shortest average wait time in the U.S. for existing patients to see a cardiologist (3.8 days)
• Second highest percentage of Veterans able to access routine specialty care when needed (95%)
• Second highest access to urgent specialty care (90%)
• Third shortest wait time for new patients accessing pulmonology (13.8 days)
The Wichita community also ranked fifth in access to mental health care, thanks in part to:
• Seventh shortest wait time for existing patients to access mental health-integrated primary care (0.3 days)
• Ninth shortest wait time for new patients to access the same service (1.4 days)
In the category of hospital care quality, Wichita ranked sixth nationally. These high marks align with CMS’ annual Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating, which evaluates hospitals based on five key performance areas: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, and timely and effective care. Dole VA has received the maximum 5-star rating two years in a row, placing it among the top 8% of all hospitals in the United States, both VA and non-VA.
In addition to clinical excellence, Veteran trust in Dole VA is exceptionally strong. The facility boasts a 93% trust score, exceeding the national VA outpatient care average of 92.7%.
“It is our honor to serve the nation’s Veterans and they deserve nothing less than the best we can provide,” Payne added.