NC congressmen, VA leaders meet in Washington

Congress members from North Carolina met with Veterans Affairs leaders in Washington on Tuesday, hoping for better communication on problems in the VA system.

Eight House members met with top officials from the VA’s Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network, also known as Veterans Integrated Service Network 6, and the leaders from at least three VA medical centers, including Fayetteville’s.

The meeting was an introduction of sorts for DeAnne Seekins, who became director of VISN 6 in July. The network includes seven VA medical centers, 27 community-based outpatient clinics and four health care centers, and it is the fastest-growing region within the VA.

Republican Rep. Richard Hudson, whose district includes parts of Fayetteville, said he was impressed by Seekins and other VA leaders.

The discussion was “very candid, very open,” and addressed concerns about delays in VA care, problems within the VA Choice Program and late payments to vendors working with the VA, Hudson said.

“Hopefully it’s the beginning of better communication,” said Hudson, who helped organize the meeting.

Seekins was appointed director of VISN 6 after leading the Durham VA Health Care System for five years. Directors of VA medical centers in Asheville and Durham also attended the meeting.

Fayetteville has the fastest growing patient population in the VA, Hudson said, and it was important for VA leaders and Congress to be on the same page to help address issues that arise with that growth.

“I take very seriously my responsibilities as a voice for veterans in North Carolina,” he said. “I wanted to open better lines of communications.”

The meeting was co-chaired by Democratic Rep. David Price. It included Republican Reps. Robert Pittenger, Virginia Foxx, David Rouzer, Walter Jones and Mark Meadows, and Democratic Rep. Alma Adams.

In the past, members of Congress have had to “start at the bottom and work up” when it comes to VA issues, Hudson said. After the meeting, he hopes there will be a direct line of dialogue at the highest levels of the local VA network.

He said he would like VA leaders to notify the congressional delegation of potential issues or when problems arise. The delegation can be more proactive in helping the VA fix issues that continue to plaque the system.

“We both have the same mission — taking care of our veterans,” he said.

VISN 6 officials said the meeting was important to Seekins, who wants to develop relationships with the delegation and learn their concerns.

A spokesman, Stephen Wilkins, said the meeting was not meant to address specific issues, but instead more of a meet and greet.

But Hudson said the delegation was able to ask questions, paying particular attention to access to VA care, the opioid epidemic among veterans, and the Choice program that allows some veterans to seek care outside the VA system.

Several representatives also brought up VA payments. They said veterans are being harassed by collection agencies because the VA is not paying its bills.

Hudson said that while he praises the network’s efforts to cut down on wait times, he is lobbying for an expanded Choice program that gives more veterans the ability to go outside the VA.

The Fayetteville VA previously had one of the nation’s longest waits for veteran care. In recent months, officials have said those numbers have drastically improved.

“I think we’re making progress, but I personally would like to see veterans having more access to private care as an alternative,” Hudson said.

Hudson has introduced legislation that would allow any veteran who is at least 50 percent disabled to see whatever doctor they would like.

“I’m just not convinced we can build enough VA facilities to keep up with the growth,” Hudson said.

He said that expanded Choice would never destroy the VA. But giving veterans the ability to “vote with their feet” may force the VA to improve its practices.

“Competition will make the VA better,” he said. “They care about our veterans but they work within a system that is just strangled with bureaucracy.”

The congressional delegation last met with VA leaders earlier this year, after a VA audit found that the network underreported the length of wait times for new patients, and that those seeking care outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs often had long waits or were unable to receive care.

Hudson said the delegation wants to meet regularly with VA leaders.

“I think we all agreed we’d like to have something,” he said. He urged veterans in North Carolina who have problems with the VA to contact their Congress representative.

“We’ll be their advocate,” he said.