VA "Pauses" Care

The Veterans Affairs or VA hospital is no longer treating patients needing healthcare in the intensive and acute medical care units.

The sudden pause in care has local veterans questioning the hospitals decision. 

Dave Lambert served during the Korean War and has gone to the local VA for treatment in the past--but he doesn't stand by the hospitals' recent decision.

 "If we are saying support the troops then we ought to be willing to say support the veterans and one way to do that is to keep the VA hospital open providing all the services," said Lambert. 

The VA hospital declined to comment on camera, but they did provide this statement-- "VA Northern Indiana healthcare system has temporarily paused in-patient operations on the intensive care unit and  the acute medical unit at the fort Wayne campus to afford us the opportunity to review our processes, provide training to our staff and ensure our continued ability to maintain the most flexible systems and highest standard of healthcare for our veterans."

Local veterans say their medical bills would be unbearable without the support of the VA.   However, the sudden closing of the intensive care unit has some veterans asking the reason for the closure.    

"I don't understand if it's a financial thing tell us it's a financial thing. Help us figure out what we can do--I can't afford to go to  Marion every time I need treatment," said Jim Garigen," a 13-year veteran. 

"I did some of my treatments over at the Vets hospital because it was the only thing we had locally and hearing the news it was kind of shocking because if you don't have that here in town where are the vets going to go," said Garigen. 

The VA says they will refer people to other veterans' hospitals and to non-VA hospitals in the area.