A8
LOCAL/REGIONAL
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Wyden addresses range of topics in Wallowa County town hall
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — Snake
River dams, Greater Idaho,
internet and suicide solu-
tions were among topics
addressed by U.S. Sen. Ron
Wyden during a Wednesday,
April 20, town hall with Wal-
lowa County residents.
The longtime senator was
asked what could be done to
assist crisis workers in the
county who help residents
considering suicide given a
recent increase in local cases.
“I think we all know that
the demand for mental health
services is through the strato-
sphere,” he said. “I’m par-
ticularly concerned because
we have such a shortage of
personnel.”
Wyden cited bipartisan
mental health legislation that
is being worked on, and said
telehealth is an area to be
focused on.
Wyden said he has spent
“a lot of time” thinking about
Greater Idaho in response to
a question not understanding
why residents would want to
consider having the state’s
border moved.
“I’m a United States sen-
ator to represent every nook
and cranny in our state. I
understand why people in
rural communities are so
frustrated,” he said, noting
there are rural Oregonians
who don’t feel heard. “I’m
trying to make a cornerstone
of my service to our state
making sure rural voices are
always at the table on my
watch.”
He was asked to share
where he stood on propos-
als to remove dams from the
Snake River and the sweep-
for fi sh, trade, fuel, multiple
interests. You have to strike
a balance.”
“IF THERE IS ONE LESSON WE LEARNED FROM
THE WAR IN UKRAINE, IT IS THAT WE CANNOT
GET OFF FOSSIL FUELS FAST ENOUGH.”
— U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
ing impact such a
He described the
move would result
work of the Wash-
in.
ington politicians as
He said Wash-
“Lane 1.”
ington politicians,
“Lane 2 (is) if we
including Gov. Jay
can use some money
Inslee and Sen.
from the biparti-
Wyden
Patty Murray, have
san
infrastructure
been “working to
bill to address some
have multiple stakehold- of those practices, and what
ers involved in trying to fi nd comes to mind is the irriga-
some common ground … tion,” he said. “(The third
lane is) energy storage,
which is hugely important.
… It has to be part of your
toolbox. We’re working with
all of them.”
He addressed a ques-
tion about political polariza-
tion, noting in his answer an
increase in Independents as
residents don’t want a part
in the extremes. He noted
those extremes is where
some politicians tend to
move.
“Right now, all of the
incentives in American pol-
itics are to stay with your
base, which pleases the
more extreme (supporters),”
he said.
And while it seems bad,
Wyden encouraged that it’s
not the worst it has ever
been.
“We’ve been through
tougher than this,” he said.
“We’ll get through it.”
He also addressed —
and off ered assistance to —
residents in areas where a
strong internet connection is
still lacking.
“If we can thread the nee-
dle now, it will be copied in
a lot of other places. You’re
not the only person up
there by yourself,” he said.
“Small rural communities in
Oregon and elsewhere need
to get connected now.”
And he said the Rus-
sian invasion of Ukraine is
proof that the U.S. needs to
reduce its dependence on
fossil fuels.
“If there is one lesson
we learned from the war in
Ukraine,” he said, “it is that
we cannot get off fossil fuels
fast enough.”
VA plan calls for big changes to
its Walla Walla medical center
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By DAVIS CARBAUGH
and JOHN TILLMAN
EO Media Group
WASHINGTON — Ore-
gon U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
last week said he plans to per-
sonally contact the Depart-
ment of Veterans Aff airs
regarding recommendations
to reduce services at the Jon-
athan M. Wainwright Memo-
rial VA Medical Center in
Walla Walla.
The VA in mid-March
released a report from
the Asset and Infrastruc-
ture Review Commission
to modernize and realign
the VA health care system.
According to the Walla Walla
Union-Bulletin, the report is
in response to the 2018 MIS-
SION Act, also known as the
Veteran Community Care
Act.
After site visits, listening
sessions and data gathering
around the country, the AIR
Commission listed among
its recommendations that the
Walla Walla VA reduce ser-
vices to primary care and
mental health, which could
result in the facility being
reclassifi ed as a communi-
ty-based outpatient clinic,
known better as a CBOC,
rather than a full medical
center, according to the Walla
Walla UB.
At a virtual town hall for
Union County residents on
Wednesday, April 20, Wyden
addressed several concerns
related to veteran health
care in Eastern Oregon. Key
points included slow hiring
processes, travel pay, diffi -
culties at call centers across
VA clinics and attaining
health care services outside
of the VA.
Wyden noted he has been
hearing often from veterans
on similar issues and said he
will be reaching out to the VA
himself for an explanation
and how to address the four
major concerns brought up
at the meeting and potential
changes to the Walla Walla
medical center.
“Vets have earned the ben-
efi ts because of their extraor-
dinary service,” Wyden said.
“The vets committed their
lives to our country and now
I’m going to make sure we
make our commitment to
them really clear.”
A market analysis showed
veteran enrollment in VISN
20, the service region cen-
tered by the Walla Walla
VA, is predicted to increase
modestly and largely out-
side of Walla Walla. Accord-
ing to the Walla Walla paper,
the recommended strategy is
to invest in new outpatient
facilities and expand services
in existing clinics to meet
future demand, while “right-
sizing” services at the Walla
Walla VA, offi cials said.
The full set of recommen-
dations call for closing a total
of 17 VA medical centers
nationwide while building 14
new ones and 140 new clin-
ics, according to the Spokane
Spokesman-Review,
and
encourages veterans, espe-
cially in rural areas, to seek
care from private providers.