Susanville’s Diamond View VA clinic is among hundreds of clinics on the U.S. Department of Veterans affairs list of recommended clinics for structure assessment and possible closure. Under the Mission Act of 2018, the department is required to make recommendations on all of its clinics nationwide. This is part of an overhaul of the department’s healthcare network. These recommendations will be reported to the Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission that President Biden recently nominated 8 of its 9 commissioners, who await Senate confirmation. Once approved the commission will have a year to review the VA’s plan, conduct its own hearings, investigations, and proposals to the White House. Current VA recommendations are to close 172, or about 21%, of its clinics. Yet the plan includes offsetting those closures by increasing medical specialty clinics by 56%, and possibly rebuilding new facilities, and assessing the community’s ability to support its veterans. Overall the process is a long one that may potentially span more than one presidential administration with no definitive plans set in motion.
