Veterans Affairs Hospitals In Virginia

Fighting To Keep The Doors Open

The plan almost certainly will invite a fight over which facilities remain open as members of Congress from both sides of the aisle raised concerns about the VA plan.

The commission that now will consider the VA’s recommendations has a year to develop its own proposal.

Malliotakis called the planned closure of a medical center in Brooklyn a “slap in the face” to veterans during an interview with a local television station. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., after the previous administration promised it would remain open.

Veterans deserve high-quality health care at the VA. I am concerned by the potential closure of any VA facility in Massachusetts, and I will be closely monitoring this issue to ensure that the concerns of veterans, local communities, and VA employees are heard and accounted for,” Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said in a prepared statement.

Both Democrats and Republicans in Ohio have raised concerns about the potential closure of the medical center in Chillicothe, about an hour south of Columbus, the state’s largest city.

Rep. Mike Carey, R-Ohio, said in a prepared statement he is “concerned” about the recommendation to close the facility and that he would work “to ensure the best possible outcome for our veterans and the community.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said he planned to raise questions directly to the commission after consulting with constituents about the planned closure.

Addressing The Ballooning Va Budget

The VA budget has grown rapidly and significantly5 since 9/11. In FY 2001, its budget was $40 billion by 2009, President Barack Obamas first year in office and before the full impact of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was felt, it had risen to $94 billion. The FY 2021 budget that Congress passed in December 2020 allocated a whopping $243 billion to the VAan increase of more than $200 billion, or 500 percent, since 9/11. From FY 2020 to FY 2021 alone, the VA budget increased by 14 percent, an increase higher than that of any other federal agency. As a result, the VA now has the second-largest discretionary budget in the federal government, trailing only the Pentagon. Its budget is greater than the combined budgets of the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Justice, and the entire intelligence community.6

This rapid increase is a result of several factors, including the large cohort of aging Vietnam War veterans and the increase in veterans from all generations using the VA for health care, especially the 4.1 million post-9/11 veterans.10 It is also due to the increasing cost of health care in the United States, the introduction of federal programs such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Va Report Recommends New Medical Center In Roanoke To Replace Salem Facility

ROANOKE, Va. – A new report from the Department of Veterans Affairs calls for big changes in the way it delivers health care in western Virginia.

The federal agency released its Asset and Infrastructure Review report Monday. The document includes recommendations to improve health care for veterans at VA facilities across the country.

In southwest Virginia, recommendations include building a new VA Medical Center in Roanoke, and closing the current facility in Salem.

The plan also calls for a new Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in the Bedford area.

A national commission will hold public hearings on the proposals, before submitting its own recommendations to President Biden sometime next year.

Copyright 2022 WDBJ. All rights reserved.

Most Read

Read Also: Can You Collect Short Term Disability And Sick Pay

Rebuilding The Departments Infrastructure And Staffing

In his upcoming budget request, Secretary McDonough must put aside funding specifically for beginning to fill the departments 50,000 empty positions and addressing the departments aging infrastructure, which has been in place for an average of 58 years.35 Additionally, when the secretary appoints his leadership team, he must ensure that his choices reflect the diversity that exists within the active-duty and veteran community.

Top 25 Best Va Hospitals According To Veteran Satisfaction Scores

I hope you enjoy reading this blog post.

If you want to learn how to implement these strategies to get the VA benefits you deserve, to speak with a VA claim expert for free.

In todays Ultimate Guide, we list and explain the Top 25 Best VA Hospitals according to veteran patient satisfaction scores derived from .

The quality metric is based on veteran patients who gave their VA hospital a rating of 9 or 10 on a scale from 0 to 10 .

Okay, lets dive into our list of the Best VA Medical Centers this year.

Read Also: Mortgage Interest Rates For Veterans

Expanding Veterans Access To Disability Benefits

Secretary McDonough must also work to reduce the VAs massive backlog17 of compensation and pension exams, which a veteran must receive in order to be granted disability benefits. Many exams have been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic: As of March 2021, 357,000 exam requests were pending. This is nearly three times the amount of exams that were pending in February 2020. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office ,18 VA leaders have not yet developed a clear long-term plan to address the issue.

These 17 Medical Centers Would Close And More Than 30 Built Or Replaced Under Va Plan

The Department of Veterans Affairs has unveiled a plan that calls for closing 17 aging or underused medical centers, while shifting services to more than 30 new or rebuilt hospitals. In some cases, it would rely on private care.

Under the nearly $2 trillion proposal released Monday, the department would lose a net of three medical centers and 174 outpatient health clinics but would gain 255 health care facilities, including new clinics, stand-alone rehabilitation centers and nursing homes.

Medical centers in areas with diminishing veteran populations are among those slated to close, while others would be built in growing urban centers, the West and the South — areas where veteran populations are growing.

Read Next:Scuttled Plan to Give Polish Jets to Ukraine Stirs Frustration on Capitol Hill

The recommendations, which represent the VA’s vision for future health care delivery to more than 12 million veterans in the next 25 to 50 years, are the first step in an asset and infrastructure review required by Congress in 2018.

The infrastructure modernization proposals will be reviewed next by an independent commission, which will provide its own input. The final plan must be approved by Congress before being enacted.

Already, lawmakers are weighing in on the recommendations. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., who chairs the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, issued a statement Monday noting that a nursing home and two clinics would be closed in his state.

Read Also: Does Having Fibromyalgia Qualify You For Disability

List Of Veterans Affairs Medical Facilities

Veterans’ health care in the United States is separated geographically into 19 regions known as VISNs, or Veterans Integrated Service Networks, into systems within each network headed by medical centers, and hierarchically within each system by division level of care or type. This article lists VA VISN facilities by region, location, and type.

VA medical facilities and Vet Centers are run by the Veterans Health Administration of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Vet Centers focus on post-war adjustment, counseling and outreach services for veterans and their families. There are currently 152 VA Medical Centers and approximately 1,400 community-based outpatient clinics in the US. Facilities types are listed in the VISN tables below as:

• Network System Headquarters
• Network Health Care System
• VA medical centers
• Community Based Outpatient Clinic
• VA Independent Outpatient Clinic
• VA/DoD Joint Venture Site

What Are Veterans Affairs Hospitals

While VA hospitals prioritize patients who incur service-related permanent disabilities, these facilities provide a wide range of services common to traditional hospitals. This includes surgery, critical care, pharmacy, therapies, mental health and more.

Like teaching hospitals, certain VA hospitals may dedicate resources to advancing medical research in war-related conditions such as PTSD, traumatic amputations and illnesses related to the Gulf War, among others.

Read Also: How To Claim Short Term Disability

Reducing The Veteran Suicide Rate

Secretary McDonough should take steps to reduce the risk of suicide among veteransand make the public aware of this problem. Over the past decade, more than 60,000 veterans died by suicide, and 20 veterans die by suicide each day. Between 2005 and 2017, nearly 79,000 veterans killed themselves, more than the total number of troops who have died in the wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan combined .19 During his presidential campaign, Biden promised20 that within his first 200 days in office, he would publish a comprehensive public health and crisis sector approach to address suicide among veterans, service members, and their families. Secretary McDonough must work with President Biden on this plan and promptly implement its recommendations.

Facility Health Protection Level: High

Our health care system is currently under HIGH health protection level. HIGH protection level at this facility includes masking for everyone and physical distancing when possible.

No visitors of any age are allowed during HIGH health protection level. The only instance a visitor is allowed is with prior approval from the Veterans care team.

Recommended Reading: Does Perdita Weeks Have A Disability

The Challenges Facing The Department Of Veterans Affairs In 2021

Denis McDonough, the new secretary of Veterans Affairs, must work to address his departments many challenges while supporting the veterans who return from war.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is one of the largest and most complex agencies in the U.S. government. Commonly referred to as the Veterans Administration , the department has an annual budget of $240 billion for fiscal year 2021.1 It currently has about 360,000 employees and maintains and operates approximately 6,000 buildings, including 1,600 health care facilities, 144 medical centers, and 1,232 outpatient sites of varying complexity. In addition to providing health care to approximately 9 million veterans annually through the Veterans Health Administration , it also administers the GI Bill education program and a home loan program for veterans, as well as maintains 135 cemeteries where Americans can bury the brave service members who have sacrificed so much for their country.2

Secretary McDonoughs challenges may be placed into seven categories:

Top Va Hospitals Ranked By Va Facility Quality Data

Read Also: Who Can Garnish Social Security Disability

Prioritizing The Women And Lgbtq People Who Serve In The Military

The VA must also prioritize providing women and LGBTQ service members equal access to earned benefits, as well as ending sexual harassment against them. Women are the fastest-growing segment of the veteran population. Since 2000, the number of women in the military has grown from 63,000 to 473,000an increase of 310,000, or almost 300 percent25and the number of women using VA health care has also tripled since then, growing from 160,000 to 475,000.26 Women now represent 16 percent of the current U.S. military force. LGBT personnel, meanwhile, are estimated to make up 6.1 percent27 of service members. A 2020 GAO report28 found that the VAs inconsistent collection of sexual orientation and gender identity data has limited its ability to assess health outcomes for LGBT veterans.

Despite all the indispensable services that women in uniform deliver to America, a great deal of those women have been subject to sexual assault,29 and many have chosen not to reenlist30 as a result. In April 2021, the VA took a step31 in the right direction to improve care for women and LGBTQ veterans, as well as the approximately 25 percent of veterans who are people of color, by committing to review its existing policies with an eye toward making them more inclusiveand designing and implementing more inclusive policies going forward.

Us Public Health Service Commissioned Corps

VAs long relationship with the USPHS dates to the first World War, when the Public Health Service and the Bureau of War Risk Insurance were tasked with operating hospitals for returning Veterans.

The modern VA hospital system evolved out of this beginning and now is the only nationwide health care system and one of the largest systems in the world. The USPHS Commissioned Corps is made up of more than 6,000 medical, health and engineering professionals who fight disease, conduct research and care for patients in 800+ underserved communities.

In 2017, Commissioned Corps officers became eligible to begin serving Veterans again. This new partnership allows physicians, psychologists, nurses and physician assistants to work at select VA facilities across the nation for 2-4 years at a time.

Able to take advantage of VAs abundant services, training and support programs, and other resources, these officers are primed to transition to a VA career after completing their service.

A new pipeline of experienced medical providers with extensive specialty knowledge helps VA continue to provide world-class health care to the nations Veterans.

Interested in applying to become a USPHS officer that serves the VA?

USPHS Commissioned Corps officers should inquire here.

Don’t Miss: Can You Get Disability For Fibromyalgia Uk

Virginia Veteran And Family Support

The Virginia Veteran & Family Support Program provides resource referrals, care coordination, and supportive services to Virginias Veterans, National Guard, Armed Forces Reserves, family members and caregivers.

The programs supportive peer and family services are focused on helping individuals identify, address and successfully resolve presenting needs and challenges with special emphasis on challenges resulting from stress related conditions or traumatic brain injuries connected to military service.

Helping Veterans Transition Into Civilian Society

The VA must work more effectively with the Department of Defense to improve the policies and systems that can help military people transition into civilian society. The VA and DOD should work to increase veterans understanding and access to the VAs health care, educational, and housing benefits that are available to them. The departments should also increase awareness of other resources that are available to veterans upon leaving the service to help them reenter civilian life. They can do this through public information campaigns, including making phone calls to newly separated veterans. They should also continue to increase resources that are available for veterans. As Sen. John Tester , the new chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs put it in an interview with Military Times, We do a great job making civilians into warriors. But we dont do as good a job making warriors into civilians.36

Moreover, the VA should quickly crack down on for-profit colleges, many of which exploit the 90/10 loophole37 that allows them to count veterans benefits toward the 10 percent of funding that they must receive from the private sector in order to qualify for federal loans and grants such as the GI Bill. In addition, the VA should cut off GI Bill funding for schools facing legal or punitive actions from the government for using erroneous, deceptive, or misleading ads.

Read Also: Is Bipolar Type 2 Considered A Disability

Veterans Integrated Service Networks

Veterans integrated service networks handle the day-to-day functions of VA hospitals. They also provide clinical and administrative support for these facilities. The Veterans Health Administration oversees VISNs and VA hospital performance.

There are 18 VISNs in the United States, with only two representing a single state. Like an integrated delivery network , a VISN is a regional care system. The ultimate goal of a VISN is to meet local care needs and improve population health access.

Health Care Updates & Resources

Camp Lejeune Contaminated Water

For information and updates for veterans who served on active duty at Camp Lejeune between 1957 and 1987 and who may have been exposed to contaminated drinking water,or read an update on the latest for the Camp Lejeune Contaminated Water Centralized Claims Processing.

Mental Health Services and Resources

Don’t Miss: What Does 10 Va Disability Pay

Slowing The Privatization Of Veterans Health Care

Secretary McDonough must balance veterans growing use of private health care with spending funds to maintain the VAs medical facilities and slow down health care privatization. The Veterans Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014 and the Mission Act of 201821 relaxed rules that made it difficult for veterans to receive routine or specialty care outside the VA system. Under the current system, veterans can choose to receive routine care from a non-VA doctor if they would have to wait more than 20 days or drive more than 30 minutes for a primary or mental health appointment at a VA facility. For specialty care, the current rules are 20 days and 60 minutes. As a result, Secretary McDonoughs predecessor, Robert Wilkie, encouraged what became a significant increase in the past two years of the Trump administration in patients receiving22 health care through the VAs network of private providers.

Locations & Additional Contacts

DVS Virginia

This app will allow you to get information from The Virginia Department of Veterans Services on your smartphone or tablet devices. The Department of Veterans Services is organized into six service delivery sections benefits, veterans education, care centers, veterans cemeteries, the Virginia War Memorial, and the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program. Three citizen boards work closely with the agency to support the effective delivery of services to Virginias veterans the Board of Veterans Services, the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations, and the Veterans Services Foundation.

Don’t Miss: Which Statement Best Describes Disability Insurance