Posted on Oct 1, 2025
Have Your Say: Should New Hampshire Veterans Get a Full-Service VA Hospital?
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New Hampshire (NH) is the only state in the lower 48 without a “full-service” VA hospital. President Trump signed an executive order on May 9, 2025,instructing the VA to conduct a feasibility study focused on expanding the Manchester facility to full service. See below excerpt:
Executive order May 9, 2025 “Keeping Promises to Veterans and Establishing a National Center for Warrior Independence”
Excerpt: “ Providing Choices and Excellence to Veterans. The Secretary shall take steps to increase the excellence of and options for care, benefits, and services for veterans including: b. within 30 days of the date of this order, directing a feasibility study at the Manchester VA Medical Center and within 180 days of this order, submitting to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, an action plan to expand services to support a full-service medical center in New Hampshire so that it is no longer the only State in the contiguous United States without such a center.”
VA Manchester currently offers a wide variety of outpatient primary and specialty care services, to include same day surgery, urgent care, and a community living center(long term care unit). The Manchester VA is considered “not a full-service facility” as there are no inpatient care units within the VA NH Healthcare system. Veterans of NH who require inpatient hospitalization rely upon community hospitals who are enrolled in Optum as part of the care in the community program. We’d like your feedback on how we can enhance the experience at the Manchester VA Medical Center.
As a NH Veteran, we are seeking your feedback regarding this proposal. Are you in favor of a full-service medical center in New Hampshire? Why or why not? What services do you feel are missing currently in New Hampshire? Please comment by October 10th.
Executive order May 9, 2025 “Keeping Promises to Veterans and Establishing a National Center for Warrior Independence”
Excerpt: “ Providing Choices and Excellence to Veterans. The Secretary shall take steps to increase the excellence of and options for care, benefits, and services for veterans including: b. within 30 days of the date of this order, directing a feasibility study at the Manchester VA Medical Center and within 180 days of this order, submitting to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, an action plan to expand services to support a full-service medical center in New Hampshire so that it is no longer the only State in the contiguous United States without such a center.”
VA Manchester currently offers a wide variety of outpatient primary and specialty care services, to include same day surgery, urgent care, and a community living center(long term care unit). The Manchester VA is considered “not a full-service facility” as there are no inpatient care units within the VA NH Healthcare system. Veterans of NH who require inpatient hospitalization rely upon community hospitals who are enrolled in Optum as part of the care in the community program. We’d like your feedback on how we can enhance the experience at the Manchester VA Medical Center.
As a NH Veteran, we are seeking your feedback regarding this proposal. Are you in favor of a full-service medical center in New Hampshire? Why or why not? What services do you feel are missing currently in New Hampshire? Please comment by October 10th.
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Disabled Veterans
Concord
Manchester
Posted 5 mo ago
Responses: 15
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Maj Kim Patterson
Have to agree with you. I lived in AZ. Trying to coordinate care was a nightmare. I stay in Wichita even though my family lives in AZ because the Robert Dole VA has provided exceptional care throughout the specialties and general staff. I have only encountered 1 bad link. We finally had people coming, getting the help they so badly needed and then someone decided to cut staff at the VAs. And several of the finest doctors came from outside of the United States. We need to keep their knowledge and care while we still have them
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If a state has veterans residing in it then there should be a full-service VA hospital there somewhere. It's as simple as that.
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LTC Matthew Schlosser
That doesn't make any sense at all. The standard should be that there's a full service VA hospital within a certain driving distance, state lines be damned. The hospital in Wyoming is in Sheridan. It's about a 5-6 hour drive from Rock Springs. Oh, but the one in Salt Lake City is 3 hours away.
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I'm not sure of the size and population of New Hampshire, but if it has a significant population then I think it needs at least one Full-Service VA Hospital. C'mon now, what kind of silly question is this?
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LTC Matthew Schlosser
What do state lines have to do with anything? Isn't it more important that every veteran have one within a certain driving distance?
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PO3 Edward Riddle
LTC Matthew Schlosser - I used to live in Oklahoma and had to drive to the VA in Bonham, Texas for treatment. That was a good 1-hour drive. So, the Vets that live in Bonham only need to fall out of bed and roll to the nearest VA for treatment. It would have been nice to live in Oklahoma and just fall out of bed and roll to the nearest VA for treatment, especially for early morning fasting labs.
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