VA Butler Healthcare’s newest director has been on the job for about two months and says he’s impressed with Butler’s facilities and staff.
Alan Petrazzi started in May. He’s worked for the VA system for 11 years and is a licensed physical therapist by trade. He said he was impressed when he first arrived in Butler.
“These are phenomenal facilities. They are brand-new, spacious and everything that veterans need…close to home,” Petrazzi said in an interview with Butler Radio. “I was equally as impressed with the staff. We have a number of very talented, dedicated staff in every area.”
Petrazzi says there is no backlog of patients waiting to get appointments at Butler’s VA facilities.
“We compare very favorably to how long community members wait to see their doctors,” he said.
As an example, he said if a veteran wanted to come in and see a primary care provider, the longest the veteran would wait, as a new patient, is two weeks. He said if a veteran has a mental health need, the VA in Butler will often see the patient the same day, or the next day, at several of the facilities.
Petrazzi’s technical title is “interim” director. He took over for Patricia O’Kane, who was appointed to the job in January when previous director David Cord stepped down. Petrazzi is from Connellsville, Fayette County.
