07-R353
2007 -- H 6557
Enacted 06/20/07
H O U S E R E
S O L U T I O N
RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE
UNITED STATES CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEES ON VETERANS'
AFFAIRS TO ENHANCE RHODE ISLAND VETERANS ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE
Introduced By:
Representatives Williamson, Carter, Shanley, Gallison, and Watson
Date
Introduced: June 20, 2007
WHEREAS,
Throughout history our nation has been propitiously blessed with so many
of
its citizenry willing to serve this country at moments of great peril. These
brave men and
women
have been prepared to risk all and sacrifice everything in order to protect our
precious
freedoms
and liberties; and
WHEREAS,
It is this country's legal obligation and moral duty to assist and provide
these
courageous
men and women with a full range of medical services; and
WHEREAS,
According to figures from the Rhode Island Department of Human Services,
Division
of Veterans Affairs, in 2006, Rhode Island had 89,000 veterans of the United
States
military,
with 69,000 having served during wartime, making them eligible for a full range
of
health
care services; and
WHEREAS,
Over half of those 69,000 men and women are over the age of 60, and
twenty-nine
thousand are over 70, an age group category that generally requires additional
health
care
services; and
WHEREAS,
Rhode Island's 102,494 civilian veterans (as per the US 2000 Census) are
currently
assisted with their medical needs at the Providence Veterans' Administration
Medical
Center
located in Providence and Middletown Outpatient Clinic located in Middletown;
and
WHEREAS,
Connecticut has two major Medical Centers and six Outpatient Clinics
serving
the state's 310,069 veterans (as per the US 2000 Census). Massachusetts'
558,933 (as per
the
US 2000 Census) veterans have access to five Medical Centers and seventeen
Outpatient
Clinics.
New Hampshire has one major Medical Center and five Outpatient Clinics serving
the
state's
139,038 veterans (as per the US 2000 Census). Maine has one Medical Center and
five
Outpatient
Clinics serving the state's 154,590 veterans (as per the US 2000 Census).
Vermont's
62,809
veterans (as per the US 2000 Census) have access to one Medical Center and
three
Outpatient
Clinics; and
WHEREAS,
Proportionally, Rhode Island has a veteran/health facility ratio of 51,247 to
1,
Massachusetts is 25,406 to 1, Connecticut is 38,759 to 1, New Hampshire is
23,173 to 1,
Maine
is 25,765 to 1, and Vermont is 15,702 to 1. These figures clearly illustrate
that Rhode
Island's
veteran medical facilities have a much higher ratio than neighboring states,
and there is
an
overwhelming need for additional facilities; and
WHEREAS,
Establishing additional community-based health care outpatient clinics,
based
on a per capita formula in proportion to the number of veterans residing in
Rhode Island as
recognized
by the Veterans' Administration, and located in each of the five counties
across the
state,
is essential to providing the proper, consistent, and timely health care that
is crucial to our
state's
veteran population; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED,
That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and
Providence
Plantations hereby urges the United States Congressional Committees on Veterans
Affairs
to investigate the feasibility of establishing additional community-based
outpatient
clinics,
to be located in each of Rhode Island's five counties; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to
transmit
duly certified copies of this resolution to the Rhode Island Congressional
Delegation.
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LC02710
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