Acting VA Secretary lauds improvement of Manchester VA Medical Center

Pictured above:  VA Acting Secretary Peter O’Rourke met with leadership at the Manchester VA Medical Center and was granted an expansive tour of the facility nearly a year after a complete overhaul to improve conditions and improve delivery of health care to Veterans. 

This morning, Acting VA Secretary Peter O’Rourke reinforced his commitment to better serve Veterans in an radio interview on “New Hampshire Today” with Jack Heath.

The interview comes a day after O’Rourke announced his concurrence with the Manchester VA Medical Center’s Special Medical Advisory Group recommendations.The group was formed a year ago after the facility faced harsh criticisms about conditions and substandard Veteran health care.

O’Rourke credits significant improvements at the facility to director Al Montoya.

“I’m enormously proud of Al and his staff on the ground at the medical center and all those who work in the community based clinics,” O’Rourke said during the radio interview Thursday. “With this new initiative, we really focus on strategic partnerships across the system, but what Al’s been able to do on the ground in Manchester, it really breaks new ground for us in his model in looking forward across our whole system.”

Although the Special Medical Advisory Group’s recommendations describe full-service health care delivery for New Hampshire Veterans, O’Rourke says these best practices can be applicable to markets and regions across the Veterans Health Administration.

“I really see that’s where the best quality and care example is for us right now and I hope to spread that all over the VA,” he said of the Manchester VA Medical Center.