| Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Shuster toured the James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center in Altoona. The top-to-bottom tour was scheduled to give Shuster a first hand look at the hospital’s facilities and the work its doctors and staff do every day to help Pennsylvania’s veterans.
“The James E. Van Zandt hospital has a stellar reputation with veterans throughout western and central Pennsylvania,” Shuster said. “Unfortunately, in the wake of the serious problems at Walter Reed, I fear that the entire VA medical system could be seen in a negative light. I wanted to come here personally to see their operations first hand and confirm to our veteran community that this hospital continues to render fantastic care to its patients.”
“I am grateful for Congressman Shuster’s support and appreciate his continued interest in the welfare of our area veterans,” said the James E. Van Zandt Director Gerald L. Williams.
“I was impressed with the way the facility is run,” said SFC Tim Sumner, U.S. Army Retired, who joined Shuster on the tour. “I spoke with many of the administrators and observed the conditions at the hospital and what I saw was a well run medical facility where people receive care on par with many civilian facilities.”
Brian Murphy, a Marine Corps veteran also on the tour agreed. “I was very impressed with the professionalism of the staff and thought the facility was extremely well maintained.”
The James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center offers a comprehensive range of inpatient as well as outpatient health care services to Pennsylvania’s veterans. Some of the services include: dental; geriatrics; inpatient acute care; intensive care; nursing home care; and ambulatory surgery. The medical center has 68 beds comprised of 28 acute care beds and 40 long term care beds. The medical center's primary service area covers nine counties in central Pennsylvania including: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon, Jefferson, and Mifflin.
Also on the tour was Vic Raia, past Commander of the Pennsylvania American Legion. “I go there a good bit and I can tell you it’s one of the cleanest hospitals in the VA system,” Vic said. “The doctors and nurses treat the patients very well and they do a great job cleaning and keeping everything in great shape. I continue to be impressed by the hospital.”
Immediately after news of the problems at Walter Reed broke in the media, Shuster contacted Director Gerald Williams at the medical center in Altoona to ensure veterans in the 9th District were receiving appropriate care. Today’s tour is result of Shuster’s conversations with Director Williams.
“I was assured that the care our veterans were receiving was top-notch and that was confirmed today,” Shuster said. “The VA continues to provide excellent care and should not be confused with the problems at Walter Reed, which is operated by the Department of Defense.”
To further address the importance of medical care for our nation’s veterans, Congressman Shuster cosponsored H.R. 1538, the “Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007.” This important legislation provides the people, training, and oversight mechanisms needed to ensure that our wounded warriors feel secure that they will always receive committed quality care and that the system will not fail them.
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