WASHINGTON - Over the next two weeks, the Veterans Administration (VA) will hold a series of public meetings to unveil plans to discontinue contract care at nine VA access point clinics in northern New Mexico. Senators Tom Udall and Jeff Bingaman and Representative Ben Ray Luján are asking northern New Mexico veterans and their families to attend the meetings, learn about the plan and express their views.
Under the plan, the VA will close nine access point clinics in Embudo, Chama, Coyote, Peñasco, Ribera, Roy, Springer, Truchas and Wagon Mound as of March 31, 2011. The VA plans to divert veterans who normally seek care at these facilities to providers in Las Vegas and Española. It also plans to establish a VA clinic in Taos, and to expand its existing facility in Raton, which currently suffers from overcrowding. However, given the VA's inability to expand Raton's clinic over the past four years, the Congressional delegation believes it is highly unlikely that these facilities plans will be completed by the time the clinics close.
"I am opposed to the VA plan because eliminating these access points as an option for care will adversely impact New Mexico's veterans and their families. This ill-conceived plan will create hardship in the communities impacted by this decision and does not honor the sacrifices of our veterans. In fact, it would do the opposite by forcing some to travel more than 100 miles roundtrip to seek medical care," Udall said.
"The VA is planning to make some significant changes to its service to northern New Mexico veterans. I have serious concerns about this plan. I believe it is very important for veterans and their families to attend these meetings, to weigh in on how these changes will affect their access to health care, and to put a human face on what these decisions will mean for New Mexicans," Bingaman said. "If you have concerns, now is the time to speak out."
"I strongly believe that in these difficult times, the VA should be taking actions to ease the burden on our veterans and their families, not to increase it," Luján said. "Veterans throughout my district depend upon their local veterans' health centers. The VA's proposal would require them to travel long distances to receive the health care they already have earned through their service. I strongly encourage local veterans to attend the upcoming listening sessions and express their concerns with the VA's proposal to reduce access to health care. These veterans and their families have given far more than their fair share to protect our nation's freedom and we must uphold our promise to them."
The VA will hold six town halls starting next week to notify area veterans and their families of its plans. The meetings will be held from 6-7 p.m. on the following dates and locations:
December 6, 2010
Las Vegas, NM
Leveo Sanchez Lecture Hall (Bldg. 17)
Highlands University
December 7, 2010
Española, NM
American Legion Post 17
213 Hunter Street
December 8, 2010
Chama, NM
City Hall
299 4th Street (4th Street & Pine)
December 9, 2010
Springer, NM
Springer High School (Board Room)
1401 8th Street
December 13, 2010
Peñasco, NM
Peñasco High School
December 15, 2010
Taos, NM
Kit Carson Electric
118 Cruz Alta Road
