Hoyer Op-ed: Rep. Hoyer Issues Veterans Day Message
Wanted to be sure you saw today's op-ed by Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) on Veterans Day. To read the op-ed, click here or see below:
Rep. Hoyer Issues Veteran's Day Message
By Rep. Steny Hoyer
The Fifth District is home to a growing population of veterans, and it's important that we meet the needs of nearly 76,000 who live in our communities. That's why I have dedicated much of my time and energy in Congress to ensuring that our veterans have access to quality, affordable health care and other essential services close to home.
Last week, I attended Operation Open House at the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, which gave residents the opportunity to learn more about what services are available there. The Veterans Home, the only one of its kind in our state, provides long-term and primary medical care; medical services, such as psychiatry, dental work, podiatry, optometry, laboratory tests, and radiology; on-site rehabilitation services, including speech, physical, and occupational therapies; and short-term relief to those caring for family members who might otherwise require permanent placement in a facility outside the home.
I have been a strong supporter of the Veterans Home over the years and have worked with VISN-5, federal, state, and local officials, and area veterans to improve the services the home provides to our community. Most recently, we were successful in obtaining the funding needed to construct a new, ADA-compliant Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) that will enhance the health care
services available beginning when it opens its doors next year.
Another important resource available to Fifth District residents is the Prince George's County Vet Center located in Clinton, which is a community-based center that provides readjustment counseling services to veterans and their family members. The Vet Center helps local veterans find work by providing employment counseling, guidance, and referral services, and offers assistance to veterans
transitioning to civilian life – including individual, group, marital, and family counseling; bereavement counseling; medical referrals; military sexual trauma counseling and referrals; outreach and education; and assistance in applying for VA benefits. I recently visited the Vet Center and met with those who are benefitting from the services it provides, and I was so pleased to see what an
important difference it is making in their lives and well-being.
Our community stands united in support of our veterans, and together we're working to ensure they have the resources they need to pursue the American Dream here at home. I encourage all veterans and their family members looking for more information to reach out to my office as my staff and I continue our work to help expand upon the services available to those who have served our nation in uniform.