RAPID CITY, S.D. — On Monday, the Department of Veterans Affairs provided up its lengthy checklist of suggestions for care in Western South Dakota, including possible closures of the Fort Meade and Hot Springs V.A. Medical Centers.
“Facing declining enrollment in one of many smallest V.A. markets, the South Dakota West Market technique intends to exchange historic care supply services with trendy services positioned and sized to serve Veterans within the communities the place they reside,” says the V.A. in its report.
The V.A.’s report states that Rapid City is the biggest inhabitants middle West River, and ought to grow to be the first location for services to veterans within the space. The present multi-specialty community-based outpatient care facility primarily based in Rapid City doesn’t have the required house to develop, which is why a new V.A. Medical Center is being constructed at 6565 Mount Rushmore Road.
That new V.A. Medical Center may also have a 54-bed group residing middle and 46-bed residential rehabilitation therapy program, consolidated from the VAMC’s at Hot Springs and Fort Meade.
South Dakota Representative Dusty Johnson says the state’s congressional delegation and governor will spend the subsequent years combating to present the Department of Veterans Affairs that the suggestions aren’t proper for South Dakota.
“We perceive that the V.A. of the longer term goes to look completely different than the V.A. of the previous, however the actuality is, these suggestions go method too far,” South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson says. “They’re suggestions that don’t perceive the character of this rural state, and frankly don’t make good on the commitments that we’ve made to our veterans.”
But the proposed adjustments don’t eradicate look after veterans within the Hot Springs and Sturgis communities. The report outlines the event of multi-specialty community-based outpatient facilities in each places to exchange the VAMC’s.
“With 21,332 enrollees within the market in Fiscal Year 2019, retaining two VAMC’s within the small communities of Fort Meade and Hot Springs with practically the identical service choices (outpatient, inpatient medical, CLC and RRTP) will not be sustainable,” says the report.
The V.A. says they anticipate to see a 6.8% lower in enrollment within the space by 2029. Demand for in-patient medical and surgical care is anticipated to lower by 9.8%, and demand for psychological well being services by 13.2%. They do, nonetheless, forecast a rise in long-term care and different outpatient services by 6.9% by 2029.
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