Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., has urged the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki to increase the number of new mental health providers assigned to the region that includes Oregon.

Recently, the VA announced it will be recruiting 1,600 new mental health clinicians to serve veterans. However, only 14 new providers are scheduled to work in Veterans Integrated Service Network 20 (VISN-20), and of those, only five new hires are scheduled for the state of Oregon.

?While VISN-20?s veterans population may not rank among the largest within the nation, they are no less vulnerable or in need of care,? Senator Merkley wrote Monday. ?Many of them are widely dispersed in rural areas, which impose an additional barrier to their receiving needed services. All of our servicemen and -women should be able to easily access the care they were promised in exchange for their service to our country.?

The letter says that Merkley ?cannot believe that Oregon?s need is so much less than other states?? as to account for the discrepancy and demands a detailed explanation of the criteria governing assignment of new mental health providers.

VISN-20, otherwise known as the VA Northwest Health Network, includes the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, most of the state of Idaho, and one county each in Montana and California.

The full text of the letter is below.

June 18, 2012

The Honorable Eric K. Shinseki Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20420

Dear Secretary Shinseki,

I first want to express appreciation for the recent announcement that the Veterans Administration (VA) will be actively recruiting 1,600 new mental health clinicians to serve our veterans. However, I was extremely disappointed to learn that only 14 new providers are scheduled to work in the Veterans Integrated Service Network 20 (VISN-20), and that only five new hires are scheduled for the State of Oregon.

VISN-20 accounts for about five percent of the nation?s veteran?s population and yet will receive less than one percent of the new hires. If the 1,600 mental health providers scheduled to be hired were assigned on a proportional basis, VISN-20 should expect to receive about 83 of those new hires, with about 24 dedicated to Oregon. While I recognize the possibility that the current mental health workforce and demand for services may not be distributed evenly, I have heard repeatedly about shortages and obstacles to care for veterans in Oregon. I cannot believe that Oregon?s need is so much less than other states? as to warrant assigning only 0.3% of the new hires to our state.

I ask, therefore, that you provide to me at your earliest convenience a detailed explanation of the criteria governing assignment of new mental health providers. Further, I ask you to consider increasing the number of new mental health providers assigned to VISN-20 to more accurately account for the current veterans population.

While VISN-20?s veterans population my not rank among the largest within the nation, they are no less vulnerable or in need of care. Many of them are widely dispersed in rural areas, which impose an additional barrier to their receiving needed services. All of our servicemen and -women should be able to easily access the care they were promised in exchange for their service to our country.

Thank you for looking into this issue. I look forward to your response and to continuing to support the VA in its mission to meet the needs of all of our veterans.

All my best,

Jeffrey A. Merkley U.S. Senator