Veterans who live on Colorado’s eastern plains have been forced to drive, many of them for hours, just for a doctor’s appointment in Denver.
That’s hardly a way to treat America’s servicemen and women.
However, it was announced last week that a new VA health clinic would open in Burlington, bringing quality care to thousands of vets in rural Colorado.
Colorado has two VA hospitals in Denver and Grand Junction and 11 community-based clinics. The Burlington clinic will be the first for the eastern plains and could serve about 10,000 veterans.
Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave, who represents the plains, had been working for the past year to ensure that a clinic would land in eastern Colorado.
“Rural Colorado veterans face serious hurdles in obtaining even basic health care services,” the Fort Morgan Republican said in a statement. “Burlington will be a convenient location for many veterans in Colorado and Kansas.”
We hope the opening of the clinic will signal to thousands of veterans that “Support Our Troops” is more than a popular bumper sticker during a time of war.
