Muskogee Mayor responds to potential closure of VA medical center

MUSKOGEE, Okla. — A report is set to be released Monday containing recommendations to improve the VA health care system across the country.

The Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) report includes recommended investments that, if implemented, will see veterans affairs conduct a nationwide effort to build a VA health care network with the right facilities, in the right places.

The report could also recommend the closure of medical centers and outpatient clinics, including some in Oklahoma.

Muskogee Mayor Marlon Coleman responded to the potential closure of Jack C. Montgomery Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Muskogee saying in part it was “unfortunate.”

“It is unfortunate that the data collected by a third-party vendor for the Department of Veterans Affairs does not reflect the needs of our nation’s veterans,” Coleman said in a Facebook post. “Our aging veterans population has historically chosen to live in more rural areas similar to our community because of the low cost of living and ease of access to veterans healthcare.”

The Eastern Oklahoma Health Care System serves more than 52,000 Veterans in 25 counties in eastern Oklahoma.

The Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center provides surgical and inpatient care. The hospital also provides outpatient primary care and consultations by specialists in medicine, surgery, and psychiatry.

“The outcomes of this study are out of touch with veteran’s needs and I’m hopeful that Congress will vote down this plan and honor the needs of our veterans who have defended American freedom and democracy,” Coleman said.

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