Wyden to hold first of three veterans-focused online town halls for Eastern Oregon veterans

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) -- Sen. Ron Wyden said Wednesday that the first of three online town halls he secured just for Eastern Oregon veterans, their families and veterans service providers to ask top Veterans Administration (VA) officials health care questions --  including about the agency’s proposals to reduce physical and mental health services in the region -- will be at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 4.

This first veterans-focused town hall meeting for Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Baker and Morrow counties follows a letter Wyden wrote earlier this month about VA recommendations that the Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) in Walla Walla be reclassified to a community-based outpatient clinic and to move its 31-bed residential rehabilitation treatment program 180 miles north of Walla Walla to Spokane. 

“The message I heard consistently at my recent town halls in Eastern Oregon made it clear that veterans have lacked a real opportunity to share their legitimate concerns about how these proposed changes will reduce access to both physical and mental health care,” Wyden said.  “Veterans deserve topnotch care here at home thanks to their service, and I’m committed to working with them and the VA through these veterans-only town halls to brainstorm solutions to secure that quality and accessible care.”

For veterans, their families and veterans service providers interested in participating with Wyden; Walla Walla VAMC Director Scott Kelter; and Teresa D. Boyd, D.O., Network Director, VISN 20 in this online meeting, the link to submit questions is here. And the link to watch the June 4 meeting is here.

Dates, formats and times for the next two veterans-focused town halls in Eastern Oregon will be announced soon.