Washington, DC—Following the Department of Veterans Affairs recent decision to move forward with his Rural Health Outreach and Delivery Initiative, U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) will hear from VA Secretary Eric Shinseki during a Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (VA) subcommittee hearing tomorrow as implementation continues. As Chairman, Johnson crafted the initiative and pushed it through Congress to ensure veterans in rural areas have proper access to health care.
“The Obama Administration has a lot on its plate when it comes to health care, but we cannot let our rural veterans get left behind,” said Johnson. “My rural health initiative was designed to give the VA Secretary the ability to explore new ways of serving veterans in rural areas like South Dakota. I am looking forward to hearing from Secretary Sinseki tomorrow when he comes before my subcommittee to outline his plans on implementing this important initiative.”
Last month, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced they will provide $215 million in grant funding from Johnson’s Rural Health Outreach and Delivery Initiative to improve veterans’ access to health care at locations across the country. The program provides competitive funding to improve services specifically designed for veterans in rural and highly rural areas.
During the hearing, Johnson will be highlighting the unique needs of rural veterans and asking Secretary Shinseki about the VA’s plans for the initiative as the 2010 budget process moves forward. He will also be examining how to best continue those programs that have been particularly effective in expanding care across rural areas.
“This initiative is a broad program that looks at expanding care across a wide range of areas. The money being utilized should be well spent on what works, and I am glad that the VA Secretary will be discussing the VA’s long-term plans as the budget process gets underway,” continued Johnson.
More than $17 million of the $215 million will be utilized across four programs in South Dakota. The initiative will create an Office of Rural Co-Management at the VA Medical Center in Sioux Falls, build upon the development of Care Coordination/Home Telehealth (CCHT) at the Sioux Falls VA Medical Center, and expand the CCHT program at Community?Based Outpatient Clinics and telehealth across VISN 23, which includes the state of South Dakota.
The VA localizes care by dividing the country into a total of 21 regions, each called a Veterans Integrated Surface Network (VISN).
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For more information on Senator Tim Johnson visit his website at http://johnson.senate.gov.
