Concern is mounting among officials and locals after the unforeseen shutdown of the Wallowa County VA Clinic in Enterprise. U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, representing Oregon, are demanding answers from the Department of Veterans Affairs about the closure and the future of veterans’ healthcare in Eastern Oregon.
A letter addressed to VA Secretary Doug Collins from the Senators questioned the abrupt nature of the closure, stressing the urgency of transparent communication. “As of this letter’s date, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has yet to update its website to indicate this clinic is, in fact, closed,” the senators wrote, according to a press release on Wyden’s official Senate website. The oversight might cause veterans, who deserve to know where they can seek their much-needed care, to drive for miles on end, only to be greeted by closed doors.
The senators have laid out a deadline, insisting that the VA respond by April 15 with details on why the clinic closed so suddenly and what measures they are taking to ensure continued access to healthcare services for veterans in the region. This clinic has been a cornerstone for many who served, and its closure has potentially left a void that the VA must address posthaste…