Durbin Discusses Illinois Veterans Issues with VA Secretary Nominee

Press Release

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) yesterday met with President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) General Eric Shinseki to discuss issues facing veterans in Illinois including the need for a fully staffed VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Marion, language to finalize the merger of the North Chicago VA and the Great Lakes Naval Hospital, and collaboration with private rehabilitation facilities to treat veterans with traumatic brain injury.

"The next VA Secretary will face the growing challenge of caring for the young men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan while meeting the needs of our nation's aging veterans. The wealth of experience and expertise that General Shinseki holds will help him tackle this challenge. I look forward to working with him to ensure that veterans in Illinois and around the country receive the highest quality of care."

The Marion VAMC remains in need of a permanent chief of staff and three to five surgeons to restore its surgery program which was suspended in August 2007. For over a year, Durbin has been working with members of the Illinois Delegation to urge the VA to hire new leadership after five individuals, including the VAMC director, chief of staff, and chief of surgery, were forced to resign. The men and women who work at the Marion VAMC today are committed to continuing to provide high quality care for our veterans. It was determined in several investigations that poor leadership and communication led to serious problems at the facility, including surgical malfeasance associated with the deaths of nine veterans.

Durbin was joined late last year by the Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) in introducing legislation needed to complete the James A Lovell Federal Health Care Center. The legislation gives legislative authority to the Navy and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to jointly operate the new Federal Health Care Center. Senator Durbin has played a major role over the last decade in the development of the new Lovell Federal Health Care Center. Durbin's legislation is a final component to ensuring that the James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center will be able to open as planned in 2010. Durbin intends to reintroduce this legislation in the 111th Congress.

The VA has authority provided by Congress to collaborate with private sector rehabilitation facilities for the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Durbin has encouraged the VA to take advantage of this authority and establish relationships with facilities like the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago - recognized as the best rehabilitation hospital in the county since 1991. RIC stands ready to work with the VA to provide long-term, neurobehavioral rehabilitation and recovery for our veterans.

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