Senator Begich Calls on the V-A to Fill Vacancies at Clinics in Alaska

Alaska’s Junior U.S. Senator is calling on the Veterans Administration to address the wait times for veterans seeking medical care by filling current vacancies at clinics with public health officers. Senator Mark Begich believes that V-A Secretary Eric Shinseki has the authority to request the move. In a prepared statement, Senator Begich claims that assigning public service officers to the Alaska V-A is just one more step that can be taken to reduce wait times. Alaska has the highest rate of veterans per capita of any state in the nation and Senator Begich reports that the wait time for veterans in Alaska to see a health care provider is down to 17-days. Senator Begich is scheduled to visit the V-A facility in Anchorage on Wednesday.