Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor along with U.S. Representatives Vic Snyder (AR-02) and John Boozman (AR-03) announced today that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has approved plans to establish new Community Based Outpatient Clinics, and Arkansas is set to receive two new clinics.

The Franklin County and White County clinics, scheduled to begin seeing patients in 2009, were selected after a formal process exploring areas that need more Veteran care. 
The purpose of growing community clinics is to help veterans' receive prompt, quality service in all types of VA primary care facilities throughout the country.  These clinics will be equipped with a new national health records system, which will allow practitioners at remote clinics to review patient records stored at VA facilities anywhere in the country.

“Access to the Veterans Administration health system, especially for rural Arkansas veterans, is critical,” said Lincoln.  “I am pleased that the VA has recognized this need in Arkansas.  Our nation has an obligation to provide quality and accessible health care to those who’ve sacrificed to defend our freedoms, and we should never waiver in that commitment.”

“We have an obligation to provide quality healthcare to those who've sacrificed so much to defend our freedoms,” said Pryor.  “With hundreds of veterans in Franklin and White counties, these outpatient clinics will bring us closer to fulfilling this commitment and ensure they have access to the best health care possible.”

“Veterans in White County have been wanting this clinic for some time,” said Snyder. “This is good news for them and their families.”

“This allows veterans who live in Franklin County easy access to VA healthcare,” Boozman said. “Community Based Outpatient Clinics are a crucial outreach program to veterans and the commitment made to them for the sacrifices they faced.  This is a great step that the VA needs to continue to improve and I will work towards helping make this a success.”

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake plans to create 44 new community-based outpatient clinics to bring the health care of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) closer to home for veterans in 21 states.   These newly approved clinics will increase VA's network of independent and community-based clinics to 782, an increase of more than 100 in five years.