South Dakota’s Republican congressional delegation called on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) leaders to consider input from local stakeholders when making decisions about the future of a VA campus in Hot Springs, South Dakota.
VA Secretary Robert McDonald visited the Hot Springs VA campus on Nov. 30 and heard feedback from veterans, staff and community members about the future of the facility.
U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and John Thune (R-SD) and U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD) met with McDonald in Washington D.C. on Tuesday to encourage him to consider that feedback when making decisions about whether to shutter the facility.
“Making sure veterans in the Hot Springs area have access to quality health care remains my top priority,” Rounds, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said.
“While I would have preferred to join Secretary McDonald on his trip to Hot Springs, I am glad to have had the opportunity to meet with him (on Tuesday) to hear about his visit and seek assurances that a decision on the future of Hot Springs has not been predetermined. The VA must continue to focus on what is best for South Dakota veterans and the Hot Springs community,” Rounds said.
The VA issued its final environmental impact statement on a proposal to reconfigure the Black Hills Health Care System last month, the last formal procedural step prior to McDonald having to make a final decision on the future of the Hot Springs hospital campus.
The delegation also reiterated to McDonald that any reconfiguration of the Black Hills Health Care System should be made within the construct of a national realignment strategy for the Veterans Health Administration.
Thune said he was encouraged by McDonald’s willingness to listen to the delegation’s perspective about the future of the Hot Springs VA.
“My recommendation to the secretary hasn’t changed,” Thune said. “I still believe our veterans would be best served if the Hot Springs VA remained open and operational, especially the facility’s PTSD care, which is credited with saving countless veterans’ lives.”
Noem, meanwhile, said veterans deserve to have access to top quality health care, and the Hot Springs VA campus serves a special role in the community.
“With so much at stake, it is essential the VA secretary approach this decision with accurate information, a non-biased perspective and the shared goal of delivering the best quality health care to our nation’s veterans,” Noem said. “These are items we’ve insisted upon from the beginning and areas in which we will continue to hold the VA accountable going forward. Our veterans deserve nothing less.”