Friday, May 16, 2014

Paralyzed Veterans of America Testifies at Hearing on State of VA Health Care

Paralyzed Veterans of America issued the following:

Paralyzed Veterans of America Testifies at Hearing on State of VA Health Care

 

Carl Blake from Paralyzed Veterans of America
Carl Blake, Acting Associate Executive Director, Government Relations for Paralyzed Veterans of America, testifies before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on May 15, 2014
On May 15, 2014,  Paralyzed Veterans of America (Paralyzed Veterans) Acting Associate Executive Director of Government Relations for Paralyzed Veterans of America Carl Blake testified at the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing on the state of VA health care.  In his oral testimony, Blake stated the following:


“Paralyzed Veterans is deeply disappointed in the number of reports from around the country that suggest that veterans’ health care is being compromised.  There are undoubtedly serious access problems in the VA.  However, we believe that a thorough analysis to understand the depth of the situation across the system should be completed before any decisions about leadership are made.  At this time, Paralyzed Veterans fully stands behind Secretary Shinseki and we believe he is committed to correcting these problems.” 


Blake urged “If the Committee really wants to get a gauge of the quality of health care being delivered, spend a day walking around inside a local VA hospital talking to veterans and discussing their healthcare experiences.”


“Political interests do not come before the needs of the men and women who have served and sacrificed for this country.  We call on this Committee, Congress as a whole, and the Administration to redouble your efforts to ensure that veterans get the absolute best health care provided when they need it, not when it is convenient.  Paralyzed Veterans' members and all veterans will not stand for anything less.”


He concluded his testimony stating that: “VA health care services by and large are excellent. And sending veterans outside of the VA to get private care is not the solution to this problem, particularly for veterans who rely on the VA’s specialized services.”


Read the full written statement submitted by Paralyzed Veterans of America on May 15, 2014


Learn more about Paralyzed Veterans of America's work on behalf of veterans on Capitol Hill