Lankford, Inhofe, Mullin respond to report about potential closure of the Muskogee VA

Lankford, Inhofe, Mullin Respond to VA Report about Proposed Changes at the Muskogee VA WASHINGTON, DC (March 14th) – Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Representative Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) today offered the following joint statement after a report was released by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), in which recommendations are made to “modernize and realign” the Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center in Muskogee (for eastern Oklahoma recommendations, see pages 72-74 of the VISN-19 Market Recommendation Report): “It’s appropriate for the VA to conduct reviews like this to ensure we continue to serve veterans in the best ways possible, but we are not convinced that the contents of this report accurately reflect the needs of veterans’ health care, especially mental health, in our state right now. The arrangement for the expansion of the facility in Tulsa assumed we would increase mental health and substance abuse for our veterans, not contract it as this proposal suggests. The need for direct access to mental health and behavioral health for veterans in our state has only increased. We are concerned that the report’s recommendation to move care to the surrounding community cannot accommodate this influx until a behavioral health hospital is completed. We are committed to veterans’ access to quality healthcare and will continue to assess the full impacts of this report to see what is in the best interest of our Oklahoma veterans. We just received this report, and there will be many questions that need to be answered before going forward.” The report recommends moving inpatient veteran-specific mental from the Muskogee VA into the community until the second phase of the CHIP-IN project—a behavioral health hospital—is completed. by Jamison Faught - March 15, 2022 at 08:56AM

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Lankford, Inhofe, Mullin demand answers on plans to close Vinita VA Clinic

Lankford, Inhofe, Mullin Demand Answers on the VA’s Plans to Close the Clinic in Vinita WASHINGTON, DC – Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Representative Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough after learning that the VA continues to seek closure of the VA clinic facility in Vinita, OK, without reaching out to tribal or community leaders about the closure despite the clinic’s use in the area. The nearest facility if the clinic closes, would be in Claremore, OK, approximately an hour away from Vinita and the surrounding area. The Members wrote in the letter, “From our discussions with veterans in the state, community stakeholders, and others, it is clear the Vinita VA Clinic has been a tremendous benefit to veterans in northeastern Oklahoma. Given this wide acclaim, we were surprised to learn of VA’s plans to close Vinita’s clinic. This news was also a shock given that recent Eastern Oklahoma VA health leases indicated the Vinita VA Clinic lease would be renewed on October 1, 2021, and was not set to expire until September 30, 2030. Furthermore, we were concerned to hear the VA did not reach out to tribal and community leaders prior to the decision.” The Members’ letter requests further clarity and answers on how the decision was reached to close the Vinita VA Clinic as well as a detailed explanation and timeline of the solicitation process, any future plans for the clinic, and whether consideration was given for a potential re-bid on the lease. You can read a copy of the letter HERE and below: Read more » by Jamison Faught - December 01, 2021 at 01:00PM

Lankford, Inhofe, Mullin demand answers on plans to close Vinita VA Clinic Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico