Congressman Kim Releases Fourth Story of New Jersey Veteran Impacted by Insufficient VA Health Care
Congressman Kim Releases Fourth Story of New Jersey Veteran
Impacted by Insufficient VA Health Care
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) released the fourth in a series of stories of veterans impacted by the failure of the Department of Veterans Affairs to deliver a new veterans health facility to Ocean County.
Recently, Congressman Kim, along with Senators Booker and Menendez sent a letter to VA officials demanding answers on why the effort to secure a new veterans' health care facility in Ocean County failed, and asking the VA to provide immediate solutions for New Jersey's veterans.
The fourth story is that of John Truppo, an Air National Guard veteran who lives in Brick Township. John currently uses the James J. Howard VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) for his primary medical care including physical exams, care for his diabetes, and lab work.
Truppo has had numerous issues caused by the insufficient number of health care providers at the CBOC and has had to deal with appointments canceled with no warning. On June 22nd, Truppo arrived for an appointment at the CBOC for routine blood work to manage his diabetes, only to be told the facility was closed to telehealth only. Truppo was also misdiagnosed with bone cancer last year, causing him to have to seek care at the VA's East Orange facility, which was, "incredibly stressful".
"The way the VA treats the veterans in our community is an insult to me as an American and as a Veteran," said Truppo. "There are older vets who are in worse shape than me and this is totally unfair. I am sick of being treated as a third class citizen and I hope the VA can take this seriously and do something to correct the situation."
"Our veterans have given so much to our country, and John's story is a reminder that we're falling short of repaying them for their service," said Congressman Kim. "Ocean County has one of the largest veteran populations in the country, and for even one veteran to be denied care because the VA isn't fully staffing medical professionals is unacceptable. It's time for them to step up and work with our local veterans and leaders to provide the first class care our veterans deserve."
More information about Congressman Kim's efforts to press the VA on this issue can be found on his website by clicking here.
Congressman Kim is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Committee on Small Business. In addition to advocating for a new veterans health facility in Ocean County, Congressman Kim has introduced bipartisan legislation to protect veterans from VA errors and help veterans identify employment opportunities during their transition to civilian life. More information about Congressman Kim can be found on his website by clicking here.
More information about Congressman Kim can be found on his website by clicking here.