Udall-Championed Partnership Between VA, Grand Junction Hospital Delivers for Area Veterans

Press Release

Mark Udall, a key member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, welcomed the news that a Western Slope veteran received an essential surgical procedure last week thanks to an agreement he helped secure between the Grand Junction Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Community Hospital. The successful surgical procedure -- the first of its kind performed by the VA in Grand Junction in several years -- came after Udall pushed leaders at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to cut through red tape and bring back its intermediate surgical procedures to the Western Slope. The VA's action underscores how Udall has fought in Congress to ensure Western Slope veterans have the same access to medical care that Front Range veterans enjoy.

"Veterans living on Colorado's Western Slope deserve access to the same medical procedures and health care as their urban peers. This surgery -- the first of many to come -- shows that the public-private partnership I successfully championed is delivering results," Udall said. "This is an important milestone, but I will keep fighting to ensure we do everything we can to better serve our veterans and their families, regardless of where they live."

"Our commitment to the entire community to provide cost effective, high quality health care is unwavering," said Chris Thomas, president and CEO for Community Hospital. "The partnership with the Grand Junction VA Medical Center is very important to us. Innovative partnerships such as this highlight our ability and willingness to work together with our partners so residents don't have to leave Mesa County to receive medical care."

The agreement, which Udall successfully advocated for last year, will save thousands of Western Slope residents costly and time-consuming trips to the Front Range or Utah for essential health services and surgical procedures.

Udall has fought to protect Colorado's veterans and ensure they have access to the benefits they have earned. Udall led the effort in Congress to head off planned cuts to military retirees' cost of living adjustments. He also is leading a bipartisan effort in Colorado to explore the issues veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress face, the programs and assistance currently available to them, and areas where he can help improve services for Colorado veterans.

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