FEINGOLD, KOHL, OBEY SEEK ASSURANCES VETS ARE GETTING
THE CARE THEY NEED
Wisconsin Congressional Leaders Address Concerns Heard from Veterans
about Rice Lake and Hayward Clinics
March 5, 2008
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI), Herb Kohl
(D-WI), and Congressman Dave Obey (D-WI) are seeking assurances that
Wisconsin veterans are getting the care they need from veterans’
outpatient clinics in Hayward and Rice Lake, Wisconsin. In a letter
to the Veteran Affairs Upper Midwest Health Care Network, the Wisconsin
congressional leaders want to know why the Hayward outpatient clinic
has only been reopened for two days a week after it was closed last
year. Feingold, Kohl, and Obey also expressed concern about reports
that the two clinics in northwest Wisconsin are not upholding a VA policy
to ensure all appointments for service-connected veterans are made within
30 days.
“After hearing from many Wisconsin veterans and visiting the
Rice Lake clinic since it reopened, I am more convinced than ever that
our state needs both outpatient clinics to meet the needs of the veterans
living in the area,” Feingold said. “While I am pleased
the VA – rather than a private contractor – will be running
the clinics and that the VA has hired an additional doctor, I want to
ensure that this new staff will be sufficient to meet the needs of veterans
in the area and that our veterans are receiving good, timely care when
they need it.”
“Our veterans deserve the medical attention they need when it
is needed,” Kohl said. “It is essential that clinics treating
veterans are accessible and can ensure quality care for those who have
served the nation.”
“Veterans in northwest Wisconsin waited too long for these clinics
to open in the first place,” Obey added. “The performance
of the contractor left doubt about the commitment of the VA to serving
Northwoods veterans. Turning the clinics into VA run facilities is a
step in the right direction, but their performance from here on out
will be the true measure of whether they are delivering on that commitment.”
Feingold, Kohl, and Obey have been leading voices for veterans served
by the veterans’ outpatient clinics in Hayward and Rice Lake.
The lawmakers expressed outrage over the clinics’ abrupt closures
late last year and they will continue to work to ensure the VA provides
the best care for Wisconsin veterans.
A copy of the letter can be viewed here.
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