I'll be 60 soon.
That's the average age of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities and medical centers across the nation: 70% were built more than half a century ago. As the health needs of the veteran community evolve, VA's infrastructure must evolve too.
“Facilities from this era were not designed to meet the needs of the technological and design innovations that support our modern health care system,” John Retzer, DAV's deputy national legislative director, told a congressional committee in March.
To keep VA buildings up to date, DAV supports the Building for Veterans Act of 2023 (S. 42/HR 3225).
The bill would help VA care for current and future generations of veterans, including women, who are the fastest growing veteran demographic, older veterans, veterans who need long-term care, and veterans with spinal cord injuries or diseases. It also includes various provisions to streamline hiring for construction projects and implement a schedule for reusing vacant and unused buildings.
The bill was just one of 12 that DAV supported during the House Veterans Affairs Health Subcommittee hearing.
Other bills under consideration would give veterans more options when seeking VA treatment: Require the VA to provide hyperbaric oxygen therapy to people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries under a pilot program.
Other bills that would give veterans more treatment options include one that would require the VA to study the efficacy and safety of medical marijuana for post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and other illnesses and injuries, and one that would require the VA to determine whether psychedelic drugs can be used for treatment within six months of receiving approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
Letzer said DAV members are interested in researching alternative therapies, including medical marijuana.
“We have a resolution calling for research into the medical benefits of marijuana for veterans with service-connected disabilities, and this is very important to us,” he told lawmakers. “We need more options for our veterans.”
Regarding expanding health care services for veterans, one bill would require the VA to investigate cholangiocarcinoma among Vietnam Era veterans, a rare condition that occurs more frequently as patients age, but is not currently presumed to be related to exposure to Agent Orange.
The VA faces a severe shortage of mental health providers, with 73 of its 139 facilities reporting a critical shortage of psychiatrists. To provide excellent, world-class care to veterans, DAV supports legislation to expedite the hiring of psychiatrists who complete their training at VA facilities. This legislation could more efficiently recruit providers who “already have the cultural competency to provide clinical services, such as VA suicide prevention and lethal force safety counseling to veterans in need,” Letzer said.
“This meaningful congressional hearing on a wide range of important bills means lawmakers will listen when DAV supports a cause,” said Joy Irem, DAV national legislative director. “We look forward to our members calling on their elected officials to support these bills and pass them swiftly.”
