Treatment of wounded soldiers, under heavy scrutiny following reports of squalid conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, has the leaders of VA hospitals eager to highlight the differences between their facilities and those run by the military.

"There are no parallels between what happened in Washington and what we do here," said Alan Perry, a former Army officer who is director of the Fresno VA...

Many veterans and experts agree that the VA system -- though facing funding challenges and criticized by some as bureaucratic -- does a good job...

Phillip Longman, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation in Washington, said the Fresno VA isn't alone in providing what he calls outstanding care for veterans.

"There are problems that come up, but by every survey method, the VA system provides better health care than any other medical system in this country," Longman said...

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