Hill Applauds New Funding to House Families of Veterans at Central Arkansas Veterans Health Care System
Little Rock,
January 26, 2021
Little Rock, Ark. – Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced the approval of the Central Arkansas Veterans Health Care System as one of only 12 new Fisher House program priority sites to keep veterans and their loved ones together during medical care. Fisher Houses provide short-term lodging at no cost to families and caregivers of hospitalized active-duty or retired military members and veterans who do not live within commuting distance of a hospital. "The VA’s announcement today giving the green light for a Fisher House in central Arkansas is a long time coming and welcome news for Arkansas veterans and their families, and I am pleased to have played a part in this effort. Along with my Veterans Team, I have been advocating for a Fisher House in central Arkansas since my first year in Congress – between visits to facilities around the country, meetings with VA staff in Washington and in Arkansas, and meeting with the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs. The men and women who serve our country in uniform deserve not only top-notch medical care but also the peace of mind and comfort of having their families close by because rehabilitation and recovery processes are often a difficult time for both veterans and their families," said Rep. Hill. “I look forward to working with the VA to ensure families and caregivers of Arkansas veterans have a comfortable place to stay while their loved ones receive the treatments they need." In June 2015, Rep. Hill and Rep. Debbie Dingell led a visit by a bipartisan group of Members of Congress to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to tour the facilities, meet with staff, and see firsthand how physical therapy and rehabilitation helped veterans. During this trip, Rep. Hill spent time discussing the Fisher House program and how it provides military families with housing close to a loved one in the hospital for an illness, disease, or injury. In August 2015, Rep. Hill met with the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs to inquire why central Arkansas did not have a Fisher House and what steps needed to be taken to establish one in central Arkansas. In August 2017, Rep. Hill hosted a meeting with local stakeholders and Dr. Stephanie Gardner, then-Interim Chancellor of UAMS, about how to secure funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs to create a Fisher House near Central Arkansas Veterans Health Care System. In November 2017, Rep. Hill invited Rep. Phil Roe, then-Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, to Little Rock where Rep. Hill gave Rep. Roe a tour of central Arkansas’s resources for veterans and advocated why Central Arkansas Veterans Health Care System needed a Fisher House. In 2019 and 2020, VA Fisher Houses housed more than 47,401 families around the country, saving guests more than $32 million in lodging expenses. Families may request Fisher House accommodations by contacting the Fisher House directly or their assigned VA social worker. |
