Town Hall planned to discuss options for veterans

SPOKANE – The Mann-Grandstaff Veterans Administration Medical Center in Spokane has decided to close their rural healthcare clinic in Tonasket on July 31, 2017, leaving nearly 900 area veterans scrambling to find other options for treatment.

A town hall meeting is planned for Wednesday, April 3 at 4 p.m. at Tonasket Elementary School to discuss those options. There will be representatives on hand to answer questions and explain what VA is doing, including Eric Fritts, Okanogan County Veterans Services officer. The decision to shut down the clinic affects 853 veterans seen at the clinic, as well as other veterans who would be seeking medical care in the future.

Since the VA Clinic in Ferry County shut down because they couldn’t find a provider, the Tonasket VA Clinic serves all of Okanogan and Ferry counties.

The next closest VA Clinics are in Wenatchee and Spokane.