***WATCH SENATOR MURRAY’S FULL QUESTIONING HERE***
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, during a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, joined her Senate colleagues to consider President Biden’s Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) nominee, Shereef Elnahal to serve as Under Secretary for Health at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
During the hearing, Senator Murray highlighted VA’s critical role as the largest integrated health care system in the nation, and questioned Dr. Elnahal on how he would ensure veterans across the nation –including servicemembers transitioning to civilian life, and veterans living in rural areas – would be able to access the critical VA health care services they have earned.
“VA’s strength as the largest integrated health care system in the country gives it the ability to lead best practices in health care, conduct research, and reach veterans in all areas – including in rural areas – through mobile medical outreach, telehealth, and other innovations. Veterans look to the VA to get the high-quality, culturally competent care they have earned,” began Senator Murray. “In recent weeks my office has heard from concerned veterans and employees that VA is considering a reduction in in-patient services at Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane. Veterans and staff at this facility have spent the last few years navigating a new health record system that has been plagued by issues—to put it lightly.”
“Dr. Elnahal, having spent some time away from VA, what lessons would you bring back to the Department when it comes to access to care and reaching all of our veterans?” Senator Murray asked.
In his response, Dr. Elnahal emphasized the overarching principle of mapping the journey of patients in trying to access their health records, and mentioned his past experience making strides to improve what veterans are experiencing in trying to access care. In addition, Dr. Elnahal underscored that VA’s efforts in human-centered design and mapping the journey of its patients must be front-and-center in improving health care access.
In March, President Biden announced his intent to nominate Dr. Elnahal, to serve as the Under Secretary for Health for VHA. Dr. Elnahal is a physician leader who has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey since 2019. Dr. Elnahal previously served as Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Quality, Safety, and Value at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from 2016 through 2018, overseeing quality of care for VHA.
Senator Murray has long fought to ensure servicemembers and veterans have access to the critical services and care they have earned. In February, Senator Murray helped to pass the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act, increasing access to VA health care for post-9/11 combat veterans, particularly those suffering from diseases caused by toxic exposures. Senator Murray has also led the fight to ensure VA expands fertility treatment and adoption services for veterans and their families through her Veteran Families Health Services Act. She is pushing VA to prioritize the long-term care needs of all veterans—including women veterans, veterans of color, LGBTQ+ veterans, and veterans with disabilities. And Senator Murray continues to be deeply engaged in her oversight of the VA Caregivers program she helped establish and expand to ensure the program is meeting the intent of Congress so that veterans and their families can access the critical services and care they have earned. As chair of the Senate Health Committee, Murray also recently pushed for action to address the mental health challenges harming Americans across the country—including our veterans.
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