Veterans clinics in
Hawaii may expand
Hawaii veterans may see an increase in health services while their counterparts on the mainland face the possible closing or downsizing of hospitals, said officials at the Spark M. Matsunaga Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
"We're in pretty good shape here," said Fred Ballard, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs spokesman at Tripler Army Medical Center. "Based on our past input, we probably will see an increase and not a reduction in services."
Ballard pointed out that Hawaii VA officials in a report to the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services Commission recommended that a clinic be located in Leeward and Windward Oahu within the next five to 10 years in addition to the one at Tripler, Ballard said.
The VA opened the $21 million ambulatory care clinic in May 2000. The three-story clinic on the makai side of Tripler now houses a dental clinic with three dentists, one full-time dental hygienist, three dental assistants and a lab technician.
"We want to put the assets where the population is growing," Ballard said.
Ballard said there were 105,000 veterans enrolled in Hawaii's program last year.
"The veterans population here this year has climbed to 107,000."
The independent commission has been studying the VA health care system, with its report expected to recommending closing of about a dozen hospitals and downsizing of some others.
Various news reports indicate that at least three veterans hospitals in Washington are targeted for closure, while in early July more than 400 supporters of the Lake City VA hospital in northern Florida rallied to try to save the 24-hour hospital from becoming an eight-hour clinic.
The nationwide audit of veterans health care began three years ago.
The Federal Times reported Wednesday that in a June 4 letter updating VA employees about the hospital review process, Robert Roswell, VA's undersecretary for health, said, "Some of the buildings and land VA owns are not well suited to veterans' health-care needs."
The review process leading up to the recommendations is trying to take a "national perspective," Roswell said.
"Change is never easy, but is often necessary to produce healthy improvements," he said.
Dept. of Veterans Affairs
