DesJarlais weighs in on VA clinic closure

The planned closure of the VA clinic in McMinnville has raised concerns among local veterans, and Congressman Scott DesJarlais says the announcement came as a surprise to his office and local leaders.

In an interview with Chad Graves, DesJarlais said he first learned about the decision around the same time the news began circulating publicly.

“It was one of those things that came as a total surprise to us,” DesJarlais said. “We had no prior warning, no notification from the VA.”

The clinic, which has operated in McMinnville for roughly 16 years, the last several of which were inside Three Star Mall, is scheduled to close in May. DesJarlais said he immediately reached out to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins seeking answers.

“I immediately fired off a text message to Secretary Collins,” DesJarlais said. “We need an answer to what’s going on here.”

According to DesJarlais, a VA undersecretary contacted him shortly afterward and acknowledged the department should have notified local officials earlier.

“He said you’re 100% correct, we should have reached out to you,” DesJarlais said. “To my knowledge he didn’t reach out to any state or local officials. The county mayor said he didn’t know about it, so it came as kind of a shock to everyone.”

DesJarlais said he has since sent a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs asking several questions about the closure and what options may exist to keep services available locally.

The McMinnville clinic operates through local contractors rather than full-time VA employees. Based on his conversations so far, DesJarlais said the VA indicated it was dissatisfied with the current contract arrangement and plans to cancel the contract in May.

“I don’t know why this particular one was targeted,” he said. “It sounded like they were not happy with the current contractors. Had we had knowledge of this, perhaps we could have found some type of solution to restaff this clinic.”

If the clinic closes, veterans in Warren County could be directed to other facilities in the region. According to DesJarlais, veterans in eastern parts of the county may be sent to Cookeville, while others may travel to Tullahoma. The VA has also discussed the possibility of a public-private clinic opening in Manchester in the future. But for many veterans, the loss of a local clinic raises immediate concerns about access to care.

“A lot of them are concerned because it’s hard, especially for elderly veterans, to travel long distances,” DesJarlais said. “They would certainly like to keep the clinic where it’s at.”

He noted that some veterans already face long waits when visiting larger VA facilities.

“A lot of veterans would just pack their lunch and plan on spending the day when they came to the VA,” he said. “That’s unfortunate. We should do better for our veterans.”

While the situation remains unresolved, DesJarlais encouraged veterans to explore other health care options that may be available through the VA system, including programs that allow eligible veterans to receive care from local physicians.

“There are other options that you can use besides the VA,” he said. “You just have to get things prior approved.”

DesJarlais said his office will continue pressing the VA for more information and hopes to speak directly with Collins about the closure. One of the key questions, he said, is whether the problem is related to staffing shortages or other factors.

“Whether it’s just a shortage and they simply can’t find people, that’s a possibility,” he said. “But this is something that, had they reached out in advance, we might have been able to resolve. It’s only been a few days since we learned this, but as soon as I get more information, I’m happy to do a follow-up.”

Local veterans will have an opportunity to speak directly with representatives from the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System during an upcoming Veteran Town Hall in McMinnville. The event is scheduled for Friday, March 20 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Warren County Administrative Office, 201 Locust Street. Veterans, caregivers and their families are invited to attend. VA leadership is expected to discuss modernization efforts in the region, answer questions from veterans and provide assistance with enrollment and scheduling for health care appointments.

After the interview, DesJarlais told the Main Street Journal he will not be able to attend the town hall due to congressional obligations outside the district.

“I will unfortunately not be able to attend the event as I will be returning from Minot, N.D. that evening after attending a meeting at the personal invitation of Lt. Gen. Dale White regarding the progress on the Sentinel Missile program as part of my House Armed Services Committee duties,” DesJarlais said.

DesJarlais added that members of his staff will be present at the event.

“My staff will be there as an ear to the ground and will be available for assistance and to help escalate issues for those attending,” he said.

The full press release from DesJarlais' office regarding the McMinnville VA clinic closure is below.