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CHARLESTON, W. Va.–West Virginia’s veterans assistance secretary is expressing concerns about proposed realignments to services at the federal level.
An asset and infrastructure review released by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs included recommendations to modernize facilities and realign priorities.
Ted Diaz, the veterans assistance secretary for the State of West Virginia, has concluded the recommendations could significantly reduce service available in VA medical facilities located in West Virginia.
“My first briefing on the proposal, I was astonished. I could not believe what I was hearing,” Diaz said on MetroNews’ “Talkline.”
Three VA Medical Centers in West Virginia – the Beckley VA Medical Center, the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, and the Hershel “Woody” Williams VAMC in Huntington – would be affected. Diaz says they would see a reduction in services and discontinued in-patient and emergency room care.
“Our veterans, they rely on these services here in this state,” Diaz said today.
Diaz says the recommendations, as proposed, would move services now provided by VA facilities in West Virginia to VA facilities in states, requiring veterans to travel across several states for long-term care. Those would include services such as spinal cord injuries/disorders and blindness rehabilitation.
Under the plan, the agency would close about three dozen VA medical centers, replacing but about half of them with new construction. The VA would permanently close the other half, shifting veteran care to local VA inpatient and outpatient facilities.
The release of the federal recommendations is just the first step. After this will follow a year-long process, including public hearings and the submission of recommendations to Congress and President Joe Biden by the end of January 2023.
“Public awareness is just one aspect of what we’re going to do,” Diaz said today. “We have to make it known to our congressional representatives that we are not going to go down without a fight. We are not going to allow our VA medical centers — the services they provide — we are not going to let that go away.”