Tester to VA: Speed up expansion of Missoula’s VA clinic
Senator says quicker development will help meet veterans’ medical and mental health needs
(U.S. SENATE) - As more Montana veterans return home and their medical needs grow, Senator Jon Tester is working to speed up the expansion of Missoula's VA outpatient clinic.
A recent VA report recommended that the Missoula Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) expand from 18,000 square feet to 23,000 square feet to meet the medical needs of local veterans, but construction is not expected to begin for several months.
Tester, Montana's only member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, recently called on VA Secretary Shinseki to speed up the expansion process and increase access to timely and quality medical care for more Montana veterans.
"Veterans in Missoula and surrounding communities rely heavily upon this clinic to address their healthcare needs, including mental healthcare needs," Tester told Secretary Shinseki. "To get these men and women the care they need when they need it, I urge the VA to do absolutely everything it can to expedite the clinic's expansion request."
About 6,000 Montana veterans use the Missoula clinic.
Tester, a strong advocate for Montana's veterans, recently called on the U.S. Census Bureau to officially count veterans in the next Census in 2020 to help Congress provide veterans with better and more targeted medical, education and housing services.
Tester’s letter urging VA Secretary Shinseki to expand Missoula's CBOC by les_braswell5524
