PLEASE RESPOND TO: orate! Beye Sesh PETER A. DEFAZIO INFRASTRUCTURE Ogee Congress of the United States, Bouse of Representatives ‘ent seo 2608 August 6, 2019 Seaton ers o dtenio house,gov Keith Allen, Director VA Roseburg Healthcare System 913 NW Garden Valley Blvd Roseburg, OR 97471 Dear Mr. Allen: T am concerned about your August 2, 2019, announcement that the Roseburg VA Medical Center will close the Emergency Department on August 16, 2019, and convert to an Urgent Care clinic. The decision to cease preparations and move forward abruptly with this plan is an alarming departure from what you have communicated to veterans, my office, and local media. In an interview with the News-Review, printed June 21, 2019, you said the conversion of the Emergency Department to an Urgent Care clinic might happen as early as December 2019, You further stated you intended to be “open and honest” about this controversial decision, but the recent announcement contradicts your words. Additionally, in an email to my staff dated July 19, 2019, you said you were in the data collection stage of the request process, working on a formal communication plan to inform stakeholders, meeting with Mercy Hospital and local partners, and scheduling a town hall meeting in late August to update veterans on the progress of the transition. As you well know, the status of the Emergency Department has been the source of ongoing tension between the VA Roseburg Healthcare System and veterans. You heard at your first town hall meeting in June from many veterans with justifiable concerns about the conversion. It is difficult to understand why you abandoned your initial plan to provide a thoughtful and deliberative process that addressed the issues raised by veterans and other stakeholders. I ask you to: oan* Explain how and why the decision was made to convert the Emergency Department to an Urgent Care Clinic by August 16; * Provide detailed information about the agreements you have with the community hospitals that will provide emergency care to veterans; and © Address concerns about Urgent Care clinic staffing levels given the now abbreviated recruitment and training period. I appreciate your prompt response. Sincerely, Mh Peter A. DeFazio Member of Congress