Central ND News

Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Doug Collins, testified before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Tuesday, addressing concerns about veteran access to healthcare. The VA is responsible for providing health care and benefits to millions of U.S. Armed Forces veterans.

During the session, Senator Kevin Cramer from North Dakota highlighted the issue of healthcare labor shortages and suggested partnerships between the VA and rural providers as a potential solution. He pointed out that while North Dakota has 36 Critical Access Hospitals serving its communities, only five have VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinics.

Cramer emphasized the challenges faced by veterans in rural areas who must travel long distances for healthcare services. He cited an example from Fortuna, North Dakota, where residents must travel approximately 412 miles to reach the nearest VA Hospital in Fargo.

He argued that utilizing available bed space in these hospitals could alleviate backlogs at VA facilities. “There is an abundance of community infrastructure not being utilized,” Cramer stated, suggesting this approach could benefit both veterans and struggling rural hospitals.

Collins agreed with Cramer's assessment: “I don't disagree with you at all,” he said. “I think it's just a matter of using all the resources that we have.”

Cramer also raised questions about workforce needs within the VA. Between 2021 and 2024, 52,000 new positions were added to the agency. However, he questioned whether this increase had substantially improved healthcare offerings for veterans.

Collins responded: “Yeah, I don’t think so,” adding that despite having a substantial budget and workforce size in 2025, challenges remain similar to those experienced a decade ago.

The discussion concluded with a call for honest evaluations on how to improve services for veterans using real data to identify areas of success and those needing improvement.