Jake Zimmerman: VA Needs to Keep Its Promises As Veterans Day Approaches

kanecountyconnects / November 10, 2014 / Comments Off / Veterans

By Jake Zimmerman, superintendent of the Kane County Veterans Assistance Commission

Undoubtedly this has been a very newsworthy year for veterans, and it is important to reflect on some of the changes that have taken place, since Veterans Day is right around the corner.

In fact, the new secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Bob McDonald, has identified Veterans Day as the deadline to accomplish many of the VA’s transformation goals, including rebuilding trust with veterans and stakeholders, improving service delivery, focusing on veteran outcomes, and setting a course for long-term excellence and reform. This year, the VA has been embroiled in controversy with accusations of veterans dying while waiting for care and secret waiting lists for veterans to receive the care they earned and deserve.

On the local level, although perhaps unrelated to these scandals, we have no permanent director or Veteran Service Center manager at the Chicago VA Regional Benefits Office, no permanent director of the VA Health Care Great Lakes Veterans Integrated Service Network, and no permanent director at Edward Hines Jr. VA Medical Center.

We call on the new VA secretary to fill these positions with the right qualified people and to do so soon.

As for Veterans Day, please be sure to head out and participate in one of the local Veteran’s Day ceremonies.

There is a parade in Aurora starting at Benton and Broadway, a ceremony in Elgin at Veterans Memorial Park, and a 21-gun salute and playing of Taps on State Street in Geneva among many other events.

The Hines VA Mobile Clinic will be setting up shop in the St. Charles Veterans Center at 311 N. 2^nd Street from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to administer flu shots and health screenings. Our office has also received many phone calls and e-mails about Veterans Day deals and discounts, and we can share that unofficial and unverified list here, but please check with the business locally to see if they are participating.

Thank you to those who served, and Happy Veterans Day!