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New VA program in Iron Mountain a positive move

A couple of years ago, the U.S. Veterans Administration took a political pounding after it was disclosed that some VA medical facilities were providing sub-par treatment to veterans of all ages.

The complaints ranged from inappropriate waiting periods to poor medical care to ramshackle facilities. People lost their jobs and careers because of the ensuing scandal.

So it’s only fair to take note when a program for U.S. veterans comes along that appears to offer promise.

That seems the case at the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain, which has set up a new CPAP — continuous positive airway pressure — clinic to offer to former servicemen and women who suffer with sleep apnea, which can contribute to other health-related problems and diseases such as stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, heart attack and high blood pressure.

A recent VA news release noted the CPAP clinic offers veterans CPAP set-up and education, mask fittings, sensitivity training, and comprehensive follow-up care.

“The implementation of our CPAP clinic will provide veterans in our area with a new service that has not been offered before,” Jim Zeigler, chief of physical medicine and rehabilitation services at the Medical Center, said in the release. “The focus of this clinic is to ensure that veterans receive top-quality education and follow-up care ensuring proper and long-standing use of the CPAP equipment.”

Those who wore the uniform for their country and might now be struggling with the aftereffects of that service deserve no less.

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