LoBiondo Receives Petitions in Support of Healthcare Services for Veterans

MAYS LANDING – Continuing his commitment to South Jersey veterans, U.S. Representative Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02) accepted thousands of signed petitions from South Jersey residents in support of additional local healthcare services for area veterans. Accepting the petitions on Saturday at the Somers Point American Legion Post #352, the Congressman’s office will get the signed petitions to Washington, D.C. for delivery to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). LoBiondo also signed a petition.
“Today’s event demonstrates without question South Jersey’s strong support for our veterans and the desire to provide critical community-based services at our excellent facilities here,” said LoBiondo said on Saturday. “I gladly accept these petitions and will continue my efforts to make more healthcare services available locally for the men and women who have proudly and bravely served our nation.”
The petitions advocate for a “Veteran Health Services Pilot Program” to be executed at Shore Memorial Hospital in Somers Point to provide radiation and dialysis treatments to area veterans. The petition to VA Secretary Eric Shinseki reads in part:
“We can all relate to having a very sick family member, dear friend, or brother or sister Veteran with a devastating health crisis. This would be an extraordinary opportunity for our veterans to get the highest quality dialysis or radiation, right in their own neighborhood with familiar surroundings with their family and friends close by their side.”
Since the petition drive began in early 2011, LoBiondo has been able to determine that dialysis treatment is currently available for local veterans who receive prior approval from the Wilmington VA Medical Center. In April, at LoBiondo’s request, the VA provided details of its existing blanket ordering agreements (BOAs) for dialysis service providers serving South Jersey veterans. The BOAs were approved by the VA in summer 2010 with private providers in South Jersey. For enrolled veterans approved by the Wilmington VA Medical Center on a case by case basis, dialysis services are available under the VA’s BOAs with the following South Jersey providers:
Fresenius Medical Care – Atlantic City
1501 Atlantic Avenue
Atlantic City
Renal Care Group – Egg Harbor
6701 Blackhorse Pike
Egg Harbor Township
Renal Care Group – Cape May
1259 Route 9 South
Cape May Court House
Fresenius Medical Center – Winslow
510 Williamstown Road, Suite 2A
Sicklerville
LoBiondo requested the BOA details upon the rejection of a proposal by Shore Memorial Hospital to provide dialysis services to local veterans. In November 2010, LoBiondo and New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez petitioned the VA in support of the proposal. In denying the request, the VA announced that it already had contractual agreements with local dialysis providers, though such agreements were unknown to the lawmakers and many local veterans.
Despite the VA’s position that there is insufficient number of enrollees, LoBiondo has long advocated for greater local healthcare services for South Jersey veterans. He continues to push for additional services at the four community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) in Ventnor, Vineland, Cape May and Sewell.
LoBiondo has also been working with the VA on the new location in Northfield that will replace the existing VA community-based outpatient clinic (CBOC) in Ventnor later this year. The Northfield location (1909 New Road) will offer approximately 10,000 square feet of space on the single floor building, making it more accessible for disabled veterans. The new clinic will have expanded services, including a private screening room for women services. It is also convenient to two mass transit lines, easy access to major roadways and plenty of surface and handicapped parking. LoBiondo continues to work with VA officials and local veterans groups on bringing additional services to the area’s CBOCs.
Finally, LoBiondo has introduced legislation that seeks to bring efficiency to the VA while ensuring veterans in South Jersey will not have to travel excessive distances to receive care. The “Veterans Efficiencies through Savings” Act – or VETS Act – builds on legislation LoBiondo has introduced since 2003. It would direct the VA to examine the distances of community-based clinics, such as those in South Jersey, to VA medical centers and conduct a cost-benefit analysis. The analysis will determine if South Jersey veterans would be better served – and the VA more cost-effectively run – by establishing a “Super Clinic” with expanded services among other options.
“While the VA maintains that South Jersey does not qualify for a full Medical Center of its own, I have long believed and advocated that our veterans would be better served locally. As we seek to trim government spending and find efficiencies in running federal programs, my common-sense legislation would improve services to South Jersey veterans while being more cost-efficient for the VA to operate,” said LoBiondo.
Fellow New Jersey Congressmen Rob Andrews (NJ-01), Jon Runyan (NJ-03) and Chris Smith (NJ-04) are cosponsoring LoBiondo’s bipartisan legislation.