Congressman Kim Leads Bipartisan Delegation to Ask for Answers on Ocean County VA Clinic

Press Release

In the wake of Veterans Day, a bipartisan delegation led by Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03), has released a letter sent to the Department of Veterans Affairs asking for answers on a proposed VA health center in Ocean County and the current barriers to care faced by New Jersey Veterans.

The letter, co-signed by Senator Menendez, Senator Booker and Congressman Smith (NJ-04), outlines the critical demand for a new and expanded Community Based Outpatient Clinic, or CBOC, in Ocean County. The delegation cites "numerous barriers to care" for local veterans, including, "unacceptably long wait times, too few providers, even fewer options for transportation, difficulty finding parking nearby and a lack of automatic doors at each entrance -- preventing wheelchair bound or disabled veterans from opening the door to the physical therapy clinic without assistance."

The delegation cites multiple meetings with VA officials in which these issues have been raised on behalf of local veterans and outlines three questions focused on construction timeline of a new facility, number of health care providers and transportation options for the VA to answer.

The letter provides a deadline of December 8th for the VA to provide answers to the questions, which aim to, "deliver on the promise of better, more timely service for our veterans and ensure our veteran community is properly honored through the delivery of VA excellence."

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