08.19.13

Hoeven Working to Improve Healthcare for America's Veterans

Senator Dedicates New VA Facility in Fargo

FARGO, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today joined the Fargo VA Health Care system in dedicating their new $8 million surgical suite. The 31,000 square foot addition to the VA facility contains five operating rooms used for general, orthopedic and vascular surgery, among other things, contains state-of-the-art, digitally-integrated equipment and is designed to allow for flexible use should future needs require.

Hoeven serves on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. He is working to secure funding to make sure our veterans have quality medical care and good facilities. The senator is also working on the committee to ensure veterans have access to good mental health services, including funding for suicide prevention and the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Additionally, the senator cosponsored the resolution that designated the month of June as “National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Month” to educate service members, their families and the public about PTSD.

Hoeven also worked to provide faster resolution for veterans’ disability claims. This week, the White House announced that the backlog of claims pending for more than 125 days was 500,000 at the beginning of this month. Hoeven previously pressed VA Secretary Eric Shinseki in Senate hearings to meet the VA’s commitment to fully resolve this backlog by 2015.

“The men and women of our nation’s armed forces, who have served with such bravery and dedication, deserve not only our deep appreciation, but also the best support, care and compensation possible,” Hoeven said. “This new surgery suite will help deliver the quality health care that our veterans have earned. I will continue to work in the Senate to sustain our nation’s commitment to our servicemen and women and to improve the quality and efficiency of the facilities and services that we make available to them.”