WASHINGTON • Some of the patients at St. Louis-area Veterans Affairs facilities complain of being treated rudely, such as when workers are too busy on their cellphones to provide help.

"They treat you like numbers," one patient said. Another wrote that "they did not explain anything unless I questioned them."

Despite the complaints, two-thirds responding in a new "customer satisfaction report" compiled by Sen. Claire McCaskill rated their experiences at the John Cochran VA and Jefferson Barracks VA medical centers as "fair" or better.

More than four in 10 said the care they get is excellent or good.

"Most of the problems at Cochran are management problems. The doctors and nurses are great," one patient wrote.

The report features ratings and uncensored, anonymous comments based on responses from 185 patients, more than 75 percent about Cochran. They were compiled with the assistance of veterans' organizations.

McCaskill, D-Mo., announced after a series of much-publicized problems at Cochran that she would offer veterans an independent means of commenting on their care. She planned to release the first of those reports this morning at a news conference in St. Louis at the Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum.

"Although many veterans report positive experiences with the medical care at John Cochran VA Medical Center, significant frustration exists among veterans with the customer service that they receive," the report says in a summary.

Indeed, nearly 75 percent of those responding said they had no problems in scheduling an appointment even though some indicated they weren't treated with respect in the process.

More than two-thirds said they were able to get care in a reasonable amount of time. But two patients said they left the emergency room after seven hours without treatment.

About one in four complained about lack of cleanliness, especially restrooms.

One-third rated their overall experience with the VA medical centers as below average or poor, and 42 percent say they wouldn't recommend the St. Louis center they visited to other veterans.

Regarding allegations of rude treatment of patients, the VA said it is training staff to "greet people, value people, ask how to help people, listen to people and help people."

The federal agency said it has established the "expectation" that veterans will be seen no later than 20 minutes after their appointments. To cut down in emergency room delays, the VA said it has made changes recently. To deal with concerns about cleanliness, the VA said that signs will be posted with telephone numbers to report problems needing immediate attention.

Those responding also were given the opportunity to praise individual employees, and many did.

"My brother-in-law committed suicide last week, and the suicide prevention team ... was invaluable in keeping me from suicide," one patient wrote.