Can anyone tell me how good or bad the care from the VA is in northern Georgia?  My wife has finally agreed to move to the area north of Dahlonega.  Her requirement due to our age and my health is that there be some decent healthcare around where we settle.  We've seen that Dahlonega is fixing to build a new hospital and that's great but due to my unique situation that I get all my care through the VA I need to know if they are good in North Georgia.  I made the mistake when I retired from the Navy of checking some box on a form that has taken my Tricare away because I get Social Security disability (Makes no sense to me but I've given up trying to fix).  It's a pain in the arse but I've learn to deal with it and at the moment I have a good provider and get good care, but moving will change all that. I'm 100% disabled and in the past couple of years I've learned that the raters were right, things they rated more severely have begun limiting my life and some of the things that I thought were rated too low haven't been as debilitating as I thought they would be. From what I can find there's only a CBOC in Blairsville for North Georgia, so anyone have any experience with that particular VA clinic? Are the wait times decent?  Does that CBOC turf out for care they can't provide or are we expected to go to Atlanta? That's my big issue right now, there are some services I'm required to drive down through Seattle to go to the larger VA than my CBOC up north closer to me.  Since I can no longer drive in heavy traffic I usually choose to go without care when Seattle is the option. Is Chattanooga an option?  I'm not sure how that works with the VA, using a VA in another state than the one I reside, but it seems the drive to Chattanooga might be preferable. Thanks in advance for any info.  I've been trying to get my wife on board for two years.  We live in a state that's gone full-on commie and we need to get out of here.  I can't wait to move back to America.

I'm not sure about that clinic. I use one in Marietta. The wait time is horrible. The clinics in more rural areas may be better. I don't know. I go to an endocrinologist, sleep doctor, and audiologist. I have to drive to Atlanta for those.

Thank you for replying.  May-retta is probably too far.  Also I have to avoid the 285 loop, that area led me to having to join the Navy back in 85. At least now I have an idea of how the wait times are.  It takes two months for me to see my primary, he's the clinic boss so he's tough to see at times.  Hopefully, someone who goes to Blairsville will speak up. It seems on here at AR15.com Georgians are too busy taking advantage of their 2nd Amendment and have little time for a forum. Must be nice.  Around here they've shut down just about every shooting area and are starting to shut down all the smaller gun stores.

I sold a firearm to a Navy vet that lived in the North Georgia area. He was traveling to Atlanta to use the main VA hospital. Terrible drive if you ask me!! I would rather go to the Augusta hospital, less city driving. There is a satellite office in Athens as well. Wish you the best sir, the VA is a mess.

Man, that would be a drive too. It's been nearly 40 years since I left the Atlanta area.  The thing I remember the most was the traffic and how bad it was.  Seattle has terrible traffic but at least you're not sitting in high heat and humidity, but traffic is still my biggest pet peeve. I can remember being on 285 up north one hot August day and not even moving a mile in an hour. I was still young then but even so I can still recall my mind being made up that day that I'd avoid traffic at all costs. Like I said previously, if my provider wants to send me south through Seattle I end up refusing to go and do without the care rather than have to drive through the city. I can't feel my feet, nerve damage and amputation, so driving can be hairy at times.  

I hear ya on the city. Last few years it's too much for me too.
I have another resource for you. DAVE busses can help you out. Register with them and they can haul you to your appointments. I know they run all over. I've even seen them in the north Georgia mountains in Clayton and Hiawassee.

We will be living north of Gainesville and my wife was told she needed to use the VA in Lawrenceville

Thanks for that tip, it may actually be a lifesaver.

K-G-B, thanks for giving me some reference to go by. From my memory of the area from 40 years ago wouldn't make that a terrible drive.  40 minutes without a large city in-between.  Then again, Gainesville wasn't so large as it might be today. We're fixing to take a trip just to get a feel for things. We've visited family several times over the years but they live within what's called the Atlanta metro area now, wasn't way back when they first moved there. Chamblee, Roswell, Alpharetta, and Woodstock are my references. I can remember thinking driving up to Lake Lanier was a long drive, from what I can tell now it's a suburb so some may not consider that a long drive. Lawrenceville was not so big back in the day either but I'm getting the feeling it's grown tremendously since I left in November of 1985. Like I said, we're going to take a trip just to get a feel.  I want to get as far up in the mountains as needed to avoid living in areas that have any traffic.  For that matter, I'd prefer areas where I see as few people as possible. My wife reminds me that might change as we get back to where people of the South live.  She still flies back to Virginia a few times year and always comes back saying how nice it is when dealing with southerners.  It might just be the last 10 years that the Pacific Northwest effect has me wanting to get away from people.

You will have to drive down to the VA Hospital in ATL. There is "effectively" no VA care in North GA.

Accountant30339

That'll blow. Is this first or second hand info?  I have a lot riding on this.  I've had to assure my wife that I'll be fine.  She's finally on board for me to go way off the beaten path. I'm focusing on the Blue Ridge area.  Do you know if the Atlanta VA will turf you out if you're more than 50 miles from the hospital?  Right now I'm in Washington state, north of the Seattle VA by more than 50 miles.  For some things they'll send me to civilian providers rather than make me drive down there.  It really helps. I'm really fortunate right now, I have a great provider who runs the clinic so I might be skewed in my thinking. My hope was worst case they'd have me drive down to Dahlonega to the new facility for things they don't treat.  Thanks for your input.