Hoyer Requests Veterans Clinic Update

Congressman Steny H. Hoyer says the current community-based outpatient clinic in Charlotte Hall is not adequate to serve the veteran population in Southern Maryland. Funding has been secured for a new facility, but the facility has yet to open.

Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) helped secure funding for a replacement community-based outpatient clinic in Charlotte Hall that was set to open in 2013, but has yet to open its doors. Congressman Hoyer has sent a letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald asking for a specific plan and timeline for when Southern Maryland veterans can expect the clinic to open.

The congressman will continue to monitor progress and demand that the Veterans Administration get back on track with construction as soon as possible.

Congressman Hoyer has been working to expand access to health care for veterans in Southern Maryland for years. He has been advocating for the new, ADA-compliant CBOC in Charlotte Hall as well as a new CBOC satellite site in Lexington Park. The Southern Maryland community is home to a large number of veterans, and those veterans need to have access to health care. Congressman Hoyer told Secretary McDonald in his letter that the current facility is not meeting the needs of the community.

Congressman Hoyer said in the letter that he has been assured by the Veterans Administration that the clinic is a priority, yet it is has still not opened.

“In addition, VA briefings to the Tri-County Council Veterans Regional Advisory Committee on the progress of the CBOC have been inconsistent and frustrating,” Congressman Hoyer wrote. “An announcement of a plan and timeline for a replacement CBOC would do much to reassure Southern Maryland veterans and their families that they will be able to access the care they need locally.”

The current facility provides routine medical care for common injuries and illnesses, general outpatient medical care and medical screenings for issues like cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, glaucoma, and audiology. Medical care for women is provided by Sharon Johnson, NP. Medical staff at the center can provide referrals to specialized programs and services available at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, DC.