For months, I’ve heard from Eastern Washington veterans and providers frustrated by the new electronic health record system and the rumors of services being reduced at the facilities they rely on for care. It’s time for the VA to hear from these veterans directly, too.

The good news is that I secured a commitment from leadership at the VA this week to hold town halls for veterans in both Spokane and Walla Walla later this year. These meetings will be a long overdue opportunity for veterans to share their concerns about long wait times and limited access to care, patient harm caused by the new electronic health record (EHR) system, continued access to services, and any other issue they are facing related to the agency. 

I believe this is a necessary first step on a long road towards rebuilding the trust this agency has so deeply broken, and I hope it will help remind them of their sole mission to provide veterans with the gold standard care they’ve earned. I’ll be sure to follow up with the date, time, and format of the events as soon as the information becomes available.