Veterans express anger, concern about closing Bingham VA clinic

Veterans express anger, concern about closing Bingham VA clinic

By Alex Barber, BDN Staff
Posted Sept. 07, 2011, at 11:05 p.m.
Last modified Sept. 08, 2011, at 12:02 a.m.

BINGHAM, Maine — Nearly 150 veterans and residents gathered at the American Legion Stanley Beane Post on Wednesday evening — many angry and others concerned — to voice their opposition to the closing of the Veterans Affairs medical trailer in town.

The mobile health trailer will be closing down within weeks, said VA medical director Brian Stiller. It’s at the end of its three-year pilot program.

“I’m not done [with helping the veterans of the area],” said Stiller. “This isn’t over, but I’m not sure the mobile medical unit is the approach to get where we need to be.”

Veterans expressed their displeasure in a question-and-answer session involving Stiller and representatives for Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and Rep. Mike Michaud.

“We get the finest care in the world here in Bingham,” said Ross Fortier of Guilford. “We can’t give up this last vestige of what we have. I’m quite adamant about that.

“Damn it, we can’t keep taking away! We live here. And we’re in the woods, granted, and it’s a long ways to anywhere, but goddamn it we need something,” added Fortier, who left the two-hour meeting early in disgust.

Once Bingham’s medical trailer closes down, the only options for veterans in the area will be to travel Bangor or Togus in Augusta.
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