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Ball, who serves as the chairman of the Senate Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee, met with officials of the VA hospital in Montrose recently to get a "firm commitment" that the services are secure.
“During our meeting we received a firm commitment that we will see an expansion of services at Montrose, not the reverse," Ball said in a press release. "Montrose is critical in our overall efforts of providing the necessary services to thousands of local veterans, including newly returned vets suffering from ailments like PTSD and TBI. Over the years we have consistently fought to keep Montrose open and thankfully we have been successful as a community in doing so."
Ball added that Montrose officials recently assured him that the five buildings, "full of asbestos, lead and other toxins, that have remained unused for years, are a lingering safety issue and a continued financial drain," according to the release.
"According to the commitment I have received from Montrose, tearing these unused buildings down will not result in a loss of services but will in fact do the opposite, allowing the VA to ‘bank’ square footage for expansion," he said in the release. "In the coming weeks and months we will work with Montrose to make announcements concerning future expansions, both in square footage and in services, that I believe will be applauded by veterans, as well as by the community at large. We will be arranging a follow up meeting immediately to confirm these details, and invite interested veterans and members of the community to attend and to be heard. I will remain vigilant in monitoring developments at Montrose and while I take great comfort from this meeting knowing that services will not be diminished, I will not rest on this issue until the job is done."
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