A report released by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs recommends reducing services for veterans medical facilities in West Virginia – including closing the Beckley VA Medical Center and discontinuing emergency room and inpatient care at the Louis A. Johnson Medical Center in Clarksburg, and the Hershel “Woody” Williams VA Medical Center in Huntington, and shifting care to other community-based hospitals. It would also move veterans long-term care options out of state, requiring West Virginia veterans to travel for their care.
As a retired Marine myself, I plan to work with our state senators and delegates, with Congressman Mooney, Senator Manchin and Senator Capito to engage with the Department of Veteran Affairs and remind them that West Virginia has one of the highest number of veterans per capita, and we need to do more for the people who fought for and served our country, not less. I believe the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance (WVDVA) should coordinate with other states’ veterans organizations to determine if there were any political motives in the efforts to reduce care for veterans. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs should be treating West Virginia with greater respect and should provide more services not less, given the large number of individuals in West Virginia who served.
https://wvmetronews.com/2022/04/11/west-virginia-medical-centers-targeted-for-major-changes/