Sens. Ossoff, Rev. Warnock Again Urge DHA to Abandon Reduction of Services at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center

Fort Gordon, Ga. - U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock are again pushing back on plans to reduce services at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center.

Sen. Ossoff and Reverend Warnock are again urging the Defense Health Agency (DHA) to abandon its plan to close all inpatient services at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center (DDEAMC).

The plan includes permanently closing inpatient care and transitioning the emergency room to an urgent care center, which could disrupt care for patients and add strain on the local health care system.

However, despite announcing the closure of all inpatient services at DDEAMC, the DHA has not yet finalized a list of which inpatient services would be closed upon implementation and questions remain unanswered about the transition to an ambulatory care center.

"We write following up on the Defense Health Agency (DHA)'s decision to close all inpatient services at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center (DDEAMC) and transition the facility to an ambulatory care center," Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock wrote to Assistant Secretary Keith Bass. "We have become increasingly concerned by the information shared thus far regarding DHA's decision to move forward with these closures absent any clear and adequate plan for servicemembers, their families, veterans, and staff."

"Any plans to reduce services would come at a great disservice to those who have made the greatest sacrifice to our Nation. We urge DHA to keep these men and women, and their families, at the forefront of any decision that would reduce services at Eisenhower Army Medical Center," Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock also wrote to Assistant Secretary Bass. "As presented, this plan will only create further chaos and could hinder access to care for servicemembers, their families, and veterans at Fort Gordon and the Augusta region. We therefore urge you to immediately halt all plans for reductions of service at DDEAMC and rescind Congressional notification, while DHA continues to clarify and provide additional information to Congress and the impacted community about this decision."

Sen. Ossoff launched an inquiry last November with the Acting Director of the DHA requesting more information about reported plans to reduce services at the Eisenhower Army Medical Center, which serves between 30,000 to 40,000 active-duty servicemembers, retired servicemembers, their families, and DoD civilians in and around the CSRA.

Click here to read Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock's inquiry.

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