Veterans Administration statistics show medical facilities in Montgomery and Tuskegee have some of the nation's longest waits for new patients.
The numbers show VA centers in central Alabama have an average wait time for new patients of 75 days. That's seventh-worst nationally.
Delays are shorter elsewhere in Alabama. The average wait in Tuscaloosa is 47 days, and the Birmingham VA has an average wait of 31 days for new patients.
The central Alabama region also is among the nation's worst for first-time mental patients with an average wait of 57 days. Birmingham has an average wait of 30 days for mental care, and Tuscaloosa 19.
The Gulf Coast including Mobile has a wait of 49 days for primary care and 37 days for mental health.