Senator joins call for a vets center in Keene NH

Senator joins call for a vets center in Keene
By Casey Farrar
Sentinel Staff
Published: Thursday, August 21, 2008
Monadnock Region veterans say they need locally-available medical and mental health care.

And their message was voiced loud and clear Wednesday when nearly two dozen local veterans turned out for an appearance by U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu, R-N.H., to show their support for a combined veterans center and outpatient clinic in Keene.

Sununu has spoken in favor of the idea to U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake, discussing it during a visit to Manchester earlier this summer and last week sending a letter to the secretary urging movement on the proposal.

While Sununu was in Keene for a tour of the renovations of Southwestern Community Services’ future offices on Dunbar Street, and a visit to Precitech Inc., the topic of veterans’ health care rose to the forefront.

“There’s been a lot of talk about expanded outpatient health care services, but we need more than that,” Sununu said.

“That’s very important and I’ve been a strong supporter of the outpatient services ... and we want that availability and access to health care for our veterans here in Keene, but we also want a fully integrated veterans center that would include mental-health screening, that would include claims for disability or other benefits.”

A veterans center focuses on mental health care, offering screenings and counseling for veterans and their families. The veterans administration runs 232 such centers around the country. Community-based outpatient clinics and medical centers, meanwhile, focus on medical treatment.

Two months ago, a veterans center opened in Berlin — the only other center in the state is in Manchester.

Sununu said he plans to follow up with Peake’s office next week about the progress of the proposal and he hopes to get money for a Keene center by the end of the year.
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