The editorial about the Bend VA clinic was long overdue. I, like other disabled veterans, am frustrated by the lack of suitable care in Central Oregon. I have been on the waiting list since moving to Bend from Yakima, Wash., one year ago. The reason is ”lack of a provider.”

The good care I received at the Yakima VA clinic gave me false hope for similar treatment in Bend. The Columbia River is more than just a geographical divide when it comes to how the VA health system works – different budgets, different priorities. I have been told that the Portland VA coverage area devotes a larger portion of its budget to research and less to direct patient care. The Seattle coverage area is the reverse. If I have been misinformed, I welcome correction.

I have no beef with the staff at the Bend clinic; they are doing the best they can even though they are shortchanged in terms of budget and structure. In the meantime I have to use the Salem clinic. The doctor is conscientious, the staff is caring. But that’s over the mountain in all kinds of weather. No matter how the Portland VA health care system allocates its research and patient care budgets, Congress owes the VA a budget that can provide Bend and Central Oregon with suitable local care. Will a Democratic Congress make a difference? I hope so.

Robert Schultz

Bend