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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