Washington, D.C. –
Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) sent a letter to Veterans Affairs
Secretary Eric Shinseki urging him to take steps to establish a full service
Community Based Outpatient Clinic on the
Olympic Peninsula. Murray, a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, cited the growing number of
veterans in the Olympic Peninsula and discussed the need to bring greater
health care access to this underserved region. She urged Secretary Shinseki to
use the $250 million allocated by the VA for rural health initiatives to aid
the more than 14,000 Peninsula Veterans living without nearby health services.
“Our
veterans have served and sacrificed on our behalf. Forcing any veteran,
especially our elderly ones, to drive long distances for basic care is
unacceptable,”
Senator Murray said in the letter. “Local veterans should not have to
commute to Bremerton for a full service CBOC or even further to the Seattle and
American Lake campuses. They deserve to get the care they need close to where
they live.”
The
text of today’s letter follows:
Dear
Secretary Shinseki:
Ease
of access for rural veterans’ medical care is a top priority of mine and I feel
that while the establishment of the Port Angeles Clinic is an important step in
providing Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical services to a rural and
isolated veteran population, it is imperative the VA begin examining in earnest
a full service Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) to serve veterans in
the North Olympic Peninsula.
There
are over 670,000 veterans throughout Washington state. In the 2000 census,
there were over 14,000 veterans living in the North Olympic Peninsula and over
40 percent of them were age 65 and older. Elderly veterans made up over 40
percent of all Olympic Peninsula counties.
I
appreciated the willingness of the VA to work with me on the establishment of
the virtual clinic at Port Angeles, finally providing access to some medical
services for veterans in the North Olympic Peninsula, but our work is not done.
Our
veterans have served and sacrificed on our behalf. Forcing any veteran,
especially our elderly ones, to drive long distances for basic care is
unacceptable. Local veterans should not have to commute to Bremerton for a full
service CBOC or even further to the Seattle and American Lake campuses. They
deserve to get the care they need close to where they live.
This
year the VA plans to invest $250 million in rural health initiatives, which I
have supported in the Senate as a member of the Senate Military Construction
and Veterans Affairs Appropriation Subcommittee, because I feel strongly there
is a gap in services for rural veterans.
The
VA needs to further examine the prospect of a full service CBOC in the Northern
Olympic Peninsula in a timely manner. In the last census, Northern Olympic
Peninsula counties showed a five to 10 percent growth in their veterans’ population.
The VA must act to address this growing need and establish a right-sized
facility with adequate services for a rural, isolated, and elderly veterans’
population.
I
look forward to continuing to work with you on this important matter.
Sincerely,
Patty Murray
United States Senator
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