VA BREAKS ITS PROMISE TO CARE FOR SICK VETS CLOSE TO HOME IN LAS VEGAS VALLEY

(U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. David Miller)

June 17, 2017

In 2010, members of Congress and other local leaders tossed dirt together to celebrate the groundbreaking of the construction of four new VA medical clinics here in the Las Vegas Valley. The new clinics were supposed to provide care for Veterans throughout the valley close to where they live.

But after only a few short years of operations the Southern Nevada Veterans Administration leadership has broken their promises by closing pharmacies in those clinics forcing sick veterans to all travel up to 80 miles round trip to the VA hospital near Aliante to get their medications.

When the Clinics first opened they all had full service pharmacies. So when a Veteran was prescribed meds after visiting their doctor, they could just pick up their meds in the same building. But now when a sick Veteran visits his or her Doctor at the clinic in the South West or Henderson for example, they must drive 60 miles round trip up to the VA Hospital near Aliante to get their meds. The other option is they can wait for the VA to mail their meds which does work well if you get regular meds, but certainly does not work if a Veteran needs his or her meds to treat an infection or illness right away.

And the same issue exists for Veterans who need physical therapy. Veterans are required to travel up to 80 miles round trip, regardless of their medical condition, to receive physical therapy 3 or 4 times per week. Even when their physical condition is made worse by traveling, the VA refuses to provide local treatment options because of their bureaucratic rules. The local clinics throughout the Valley are where the physical therapy should be located.

So after spending a $100 million to build, equip and administer new VA healthcare clinics all across the Las Vegas Valley, our local Southern Nevada leadership has decided to consolidate pharmacy and other services at the VA hospital breaking their promise to provide Veterans treatment and care closer to where they live.

Rob Lauer

US Army Veteran

Political Reporter

360Daily.net