WASHINGTON, D.C. (WSAU) — Legislation designed to encourage doctors to work for the Veterans Administration hospitals and clinics has been introduced in Congress.
Wisconsin’s 3rd District Democrat Ron Kind says the bipartisan bill would address recruitment problems in Tomah, Wausau, Wisconsin Rapids, and other parts of the state to help get more care for veterans. “We have seen a number of VA facilities turn our veterans away and stop offering vital services due to a shortage of physicians and health professionals. That is unacceptable. This is a matter of fairness to our veterans – they served our country, and they deserve proper health care.”
This bill was co-sponsored by 8th District Republican Representative Reid Ribble. It designates the Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). By making this designation, it allows these sites to compete for National Health Service Corps fellows, which is a program that pays student loan repayment or gives scholarships to doctors, dentists, mental health professionals, nurses, or medical students who pledge to practice in a HPSA for at least two years.
Kind says this bill is a positive step towards providing the care our veterans need. “Through more recruiting tools to bring good doctors to Wisconsin, we can better ensure that veterans are receiving the care and treatment that they earned and deserve.”
In recent years, a number of VA clinics including Wisconsin Rapids and Wausau, have been forced to turn away patients due to staffing shortages.
