Dear Friend,

Last week, my office was proud to present Hudson Resident Aisling Macaraeg with the Congressional Bronze Medal Award for her work in the area of Physical Fitness and Personal Development. We’re lucky in New Hampshire to have such engaged and active young people who are committed to bettering their communities and state. Aisling represents the spirit of service that is so strong in New Hampshire, and this award is well-deserved. Her volunteer work includes more than 100 hours of Voluntary Public Service in her community at Project Smile and at her local gymnastics gym. I know that she will continue to brighten the lives of people around her, and I offer Aisling my sincere congratulations on this recognition. You can read more about Aisling’s accomplishments HERE. 

I was pleased the Boston Globe highlighted the critical work Dr. Julie Franklin is spearheading at the White River Junction Veterans Affairs Medical Center to reduce the use of opioid medications among her patients. The veterans I've spoken with in her program are experiencing higher quality of life now that they are addressing their pain issues with a variety of tools including physical therapy and exercise instead of relying solely on opioids. Dr. Franklin's focus on developing unique pain management plans for each individual recognizes that pain management cannot be one-size-fits-all. I’m working on legislation to expand her innovative work throughout the VA so it can improve care for veterans and serve as a model in the civilian medical community.

The outdated and obsolete electronic health records (EHR) system used by the VA desperately needs to be overhauled to improve care and services for veterans in New Hampshire and across the country. I’m disturbed by the recent report in Politico that people without any role at the VA may have hampered efforts to move forward with reforms that would update this system and allow full interoperability with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and community providers. Congresswoman Julia Brownley and I have written to VA Acting Secretary Robert Wilkie and Inspector General Michael Missal asking them to investigate the cause of these unacceptable delays and inform the public on how they will be resolved. Our veterans deserve seamless health care from the VA and its partners, and that goal simply cannot happen when the VA is using systems designed decades ago. 

As your Representative, my most important job is supporting Granite Staters when they need help. I was contacted by Arthur Walsh of Littleton who was unsure about what services and devices were covered under his Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) claim.  My staff worked with CMS and helped make sure Arthur received an explanation of his coverage. Because of our efforts, CMS discovered that Arthur was being overcharged, and they reimbursed him. If my office may ever be of assistance with a problem you are experiencing, please reach out to my staff at 603-226-1002 so we may help you resolve your problem or get the information you need. 

As always, thank you for everything you do to make our state such a wonderful place to call home, and I hope you have a great weekend!

Sincerely,