Gordon Votes To Improve Care For Wounded Service Members
March 28, 2007, WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon voted today (March 28) for the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act, saying the bill would help to prevent the kind of substandard care that was recently uncovered at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
The legislation comes as a response to news reports in February that dilapidated facilities and bureaucratic mazes at Walter Reed were contributing to significant delays for wounded service members awaiting proper care for their injuries.
“We need to do more than slap a new coat of paint on the walls,” said Gordon. “We need to address failures in the military health care system.
“These men and women have put their lives in danger to serve this nation, and more than 24,000 of them have been wounded while serving in Iraq. It’s shameful to offer them anything but the best health care when they come home.”
The bipartisan bill would create a system of patient advocates for outpatient wounded service members to ensure they receive proper treatment for their injuries.
“One of the problems at Walter Reed was that service members did not question what their doctors told them or complain about long delays and subpar facilities,” said Gordon. “While following orders may work on the battlefield, it doesn’t necessarily translate to receiving the best health care.”
The legislation, which now goes to the Senate for consideration, would improve training for medical care case managers, health care professionals and patient advocates. It also would improve the transition of wounded service members from the Armed Forces to the Veterans Affairs system and begin to reform the VA disability system to reduce backlogs and inefficiency in the disability evaluation system.
“As long as men and women are wearing the uniform of this nation, this government has an obligation to honor its promises to them,” said Gordon. “We must make sure a scandal like this does not happen again.”
