An Army veteran waiting for surgery highlights issues with VA Community Care.

U.S. Army veteran Kelly Potter calls her one-bedroom apartment in Monterey her “safe place.” Struggling with sexual trauma she suffered during her service from 1975-1978 and the resulting PTSD, it became a haven for her in 2018, a place where she could rest, heal and bake the cookies she is famous for among friends.

Since a misstep on the beach that turned into a major knee injury over eight months ago, it’s become her entire world. She struggles to walk and depends on friends to bring her food and do her laundry.

Potter initially sought treatment at the Maj. General William H. Gourley VA-DoD Outpatient Clinic in Marina and was referred to an orthopedic surgeon at the Palo Alto VA Medical Center, 74 miles away. She asked to be treated closer to home through VA Community Care, available with approval when veterans live more than 60 miles from a VA hospital.

Four months went by before Potter says she was told she would have to go to the Palo Alto VA for the surgery instead. That was followed by another call saying she was approved for Community Care because no surgery slots were available at the hospital until spring 2026. More months went by with no progress toward an appointment. Potter worried her injury would become permanent.

“My legs and toes are going numb,” she says.

“We are taught in the military to ‘suck it up, buttercup,’” she says. “We’re taught to be silent and follow the rules and regulations.” But Potter says she wasn’t willing to stay silent and she felt angry knowing other veterans faced similar delays.

“I just want you to know I’m angry for all of us,” she says.

Despite her struggles with PTSD, Potter began contacting federal officials including U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins and President Donald Trump. “It does limit me, but it doesn’t shut me up,” she says.

Community Care, formalized by Congress through the 2018 MISSION Act, has had a history of challenges. According to testimony by the Disabled American Veterans to the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on Jan. 28, 2025, there were reports of veterans being denied eligibility or waiting long periods to get appointments, similar to Potter’s experience. The DAV blamed “administrative burdens,” including long waits for VA staff to share patient records with non-VA doctors, among other issues.

In early January, Potter reached out to state and local sources and heard back from a caseworker in Panetta’s office. She also received help from the California Department of Veterans Affairs and the Monterey County Office of Military & Veterans Affairs. An advocate at her church, a veteran himself, reached out to the Marina clinic’s leadership on Potter’s behalf.

Potter finally saw a Monterey doctor on Jan. 19 and her surgery is scheduled for March 13. A new medication is relieving her pain in the meantime. “I’m feeling more hopeful,” she says.