Congressman Doc Hastings today continued his long-running efforts to get a new veterans clinic in North Central Washington open for business.
In a letter sent to Veterans Secretary James Nicholson, Hastings called on the VA to “do everything possible to get the clinic up and running” and communicate with local veterans as “openly and frequently” as possible about the location and status of the new clinic.
Hastings specifically asked for an update on the new clinic, including the location of the selected site, detailed plans for getting the clinic open and any delays associated with the project.
“I’ll continue pressing the VA until the clinic doors are open and local veterans are receiving the hometown health care they deserve,” said Hastings.
Today’s letter is the latest in Hastings' ongoing efforts to get a new Wenatchee-area veterans clinic up and running as quickly as possible. Over the past several years, Hastings has worked with the VA to make the new clinic a reality. This spring, Congressman Hastings and Senator Patty Murray hosted an information session in Cashmere about plans for the clinic.
In 2003, direction was included in the Veteran’s Health Care, Capital Asset, and Business Improvement Act requiring the VA to develop a plan for meeting the needs of veterans in North Central Washington.
Additionally, the VA’s own nationwide review of veterans services, commonly known as the CARES report, identified the establishment of a new Community Based Outpatient Clinic in North Central Washington as a target for priority implementation.
The law that funds veterans services this year includes $22.5 billion for veterans medical services – an increase of nearly $2 billion over last year.
The North Central Washington clinic will be operated by the Spokane VA Medical Center. It will provide primary care and mental health services and is expected to have over 10,000 patient visits in its first year of operation.