Senator Hassan Visits White River Junction VA Medical Center to Receive an Update on Veteran Care

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VT – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, toured the White River Junction VA Medical Center today, where she heard about the Center’s work to provide high-quality health care to veterans. The Senator and leaders at the Medical Center also discussed how the bipartisan PACT Act, which Senator Hassan helped develop and pass into law, is ensuring that veterans exposed to toxic substances receive the care that they need. New Hampshire is one of a handful of states that does not have a full-service VA hospital, which means that many New Hampshire veterans travel to the White River Junction VA to receive care.

“It was great to tour the White River Junction VA Medical Center and hear about the Center’s work to support veterans,” Senator Hassan said. “I will continue working to ensure that veterans in New Hampshire and across the country can access the care that they need, when they need it.”

Senator Hassan is leading bipartisan efforts to strengthen support for veterans. The President previously signed into law Senator Hassan’s bipartisan Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 2021, which she introduced with Republican Senator Mike Braun (R-IN), to direct the VA to create a program to recruit military medical personnel who have less than one year left in their service to work at the VA. Last fall, President Biden also signed into law bipartisan legislation introduced by Senator Hassan to strengthen the Solid Start program, through which VA employees contact every veteran three times by phone in the first year after veterans leave active duty service to check in and help connect these new veterans to VA programs and benefits. Additionally, the year-end government funding bill that was signed into law in December 2022 included Senator Hassan’s bipartisan legislation that directs the VA to designate one week per year as “Buddy Check Week” to organize outreach events and educate veterans on how to conduct peer wellness checks.

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