WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall today released the following statement on the appointment of Andy Welch as the director of the New Mexico VA Health Care System:
"I am pleased that Secretary McDonald has finally appointed a permanent director at the New Mexico VA Health Care System, Andy Welch. I met with Mr. Welch at the Clovis Community-Based Outpatient Clinic last year, and I was impressed by his dedication in serving the veterans of eastern New Mexico. New Mexico veterans have faced significant problems at the VA, including the high turnover of doctors at rural clinics, the difficulty accessing mental health care, the lack of transportation options for rural veterans, and the systemic management breakdowns at the Albuquerque hospital. I look forward to working closely with Mr. Welch as he embarks on the difficult challenge of reforming the culture at the New Mexico VAHCS and providing our brave men and women the care they have earned."
