VA Medical Centers Extending Hours...

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VA Medical Centers Extending Hours Change Benefits New Combat Veterans, Older Vets

WASHINGTON (June 15, 2007) -- In order to provide more health care for more veterans, especially mental health services, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson has directed the 153 medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to keep their doors open longer.

"Illness doesn't follow a 9-to-5 schedule," Nicholson said. "I'm directing our medical centers to provide extended hours to ensure we're there for the veterans who have earned our care."

Although the extra hours apply to many hospital-based programs and services, Nicholson said his latest decision was based upon a desire to ensure VA's more than 9,000 mental health professionals are available when veterans need them.

VA operates the largest integrated health care system in the country and the nation's largest mental health program. About 5.5 million veterans are expected to seek health care from VA's nationwide system this year, accounting for about 800,000 hospitalizations and 60 million outpatient visits.

In recent months, Nicholson has announced a number of initiatives to improve mental health care for returning combat veterans, including the hiring of suicide prevention coordinators for each medical center, 100 new adjustment counselors for VA's 207 Vet Centers, and 100 new medical center employees to serve as advocates for the severely wounded.

VA's mental health experts will gather in Washington in July for a four-day conference reassessing the Department's programs for veterans, especially veterans from the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan.