This from the Kokomo Tribune:
KOKOMO, IN- U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly is asking Veterans Affairs officials to investigate the new outpatient clinic in Kokomo after local veterans expressed concerns about access to care and problems scheduling appointments. Donnelly recently sent a letter to VA Northern Indiana Health Care System Director Michael Hershman, whose office runs the Kokomo clinic, asking him to “investigate and address these issues, consistent with U.S. law and agency policy.” The letter comes after the clinic, which is a first-of-its-kind pilot program established by the VA, came under fire from local veterans during last month’s meeting of the Howard County Military Foundation. Veterans said the clinic isn’t providing enough services and patients are being discouraged from going there when calling to schedule appointments. VA Public Affairs Officer Tom Blackburn said the intention from the beginning was to use the clinic to provide acute-care services in the event veterans’ primary care providers in Peru or Marion are booked up and can’t immediately see them. Blackburn said the VA will review whether to continue the program after it builds a new community-based outpatient clinic to replace the current facility in Peru that will double the size and staff of the current facility.