Vermont

Sanders pushes for better health care for Vermont veterans during VA secretary’s visit

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U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, left, and Dept. of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough seem at a press convention after visiting the Burlington Lakeside Outpatient Clinic on Thursday. Picture by Glenn Russell/VTDigger

BURLINGTON — Increasing neighborhood outreach clinics, including companies within the Northeast Kingdom and overlaying dental take care of veterans are among the many gadgets U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., stated he’s pushing throughout U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough’s two-day go to to Vermont.

“I feel he’s discovered lots in regards to the strengths of Vermont’s VA system and a few of the issues that we but have to beat,” Sanders stated to a small press pool in a tent exterior the Burlington Lakeside VA Clinic, eradicating his masks to speak over the rainstorm on Thursday.

“In a really divided Washington, D.C., my hope and perception is that each member of the USA Congress understands that we can not flip our backs on the women and men who put their lives on the road to defend this nation; that for all veterans, good high quality well being care is a proper that they’ve earned and that we’ve got acquired to ship,” stated Sanders, a longtime champion of veterans and former chair of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

Sanders stated he desires the community-based clinic in Burlington to develop and he desires all veterans in Vermont to know that they’ve entry to high-quality care, together with listening to aids and low-cost prescriptions. 

Sanders and McDonough additionally refuted rumors of the Newport community-based outpatient clinic closing. As a substitute, Sanders stated they plan to construct a bigger facility in St. Johnsbury to develop entry to veterans within the Northeast Kingdom. They didn’t present additional particulars.

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“Let me simply say that the thought behind community-based outpatient clinics is simply to get extra care nearer to veterans in order that veterans can get care of their communities from individuals they know and from people who find themselves skilled and culturally competent,” McDonough stated.

Flanked by Dr. Brett Rush from the White River Junction VA Medical Middle — the place a press convention was held on Wednesday — and Ryan Lilly, regional director of the New England VA well being care system, McDonough stated he discovered the “candid suggestions” from Vermont veterans “invaluable” throughout his go to.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been “very taxing” for veterans, their households and VA workers who proceed to wrestle with burnout and fatigue, whereas caring for each veteran and non-veteran Vermonters, McDonough stated. 

It’s necessary that the Vermont delegation just lately licensed extra pay for medical doctors, nurses, nursing and doctor assistants within the VA, he stated, as a result of “we must be way more aggressive with our salaries.”

The VA additionally must be geared up to deal with the subsequent section of the pandemic, McDonough stated, together with researching lengthy Covid and addressing deferred care. 

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“Vermont is considered one of three programs within the nation the place we’re testing methods to extra rapidly handle points associated to well being issues due to deferred care,” he stated.

Native leaders like Lilly and Rush have alerted him to the housing disaster in Vermont and the VA is trying into the opportunity of a locality pay differential, he stated.

“The excessive costs of actual property, the excessive price of dwelling that’s been related to the affect of the pandemic and the inflow of recent Vermonters is having an affect on it,” he stated. “We’ll keep on prime of this till we get it proper.”

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders struggles along with his umbrella as he arrives at a press convention with Deptartment of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, not seen, after visiting the Burlington Lakeside Outpatient Clinic on Thursday. Picture by Glenn Russell/VTDigger

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