News Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and U.S. Representative Tracey Mann (KS-01), member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today applauded American Legion Commander Bill Oxford’s announcement that a VA telehealth pod will be placed in Emporia to provide health care services to rural and medically underserved veterans. Expected to open by this summer as part of VA’s Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations (ATLAS) initiative, the ATLAS pod is equipped with technology to allow veterans to connect with their health care providers.

“As the first location in Kansas, this ATLAS pod will increase our veterans’ access to health care services, especially for those living far from VA facilities,” said Sen. Moran. “This technology will also provide an important access point for VA mental health and suicide prevention programs for Kansas veterans. Thank you to The American Legion for providing a familiar venue for this technology, Philips for facilitating the technology needed for this community-based telehealth solution and other VA ATLAS partners for working to make certain our nation’s veterans can receive quality care no matter where they live.”

“I was thrilled to hear during the Senate and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee joint hearing that the VA is going to be placing an ATLAS site in Emporia,” said Rep. Mann. “The Big First has 63 of 105 counties, and many of those areas are rural. Telehealth and convenient access to health care are imperative to the health of the First District. Thanks to Senator Moran’s leadership on the Senate VA Committee, Kansas veterans will have access to better care through the VA and its partners. As a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I am a strong advocate for our nation’s heroes.”

In 2019, Sen. Moran hand-delivered a request to then-VA Secretary Wilkie while visiting the VA Medical Center in Topeka requesting Kansas be considered for the ATLAS program. Since then, Sen. Moran has worked closely with the VA to establish an ATLAS pod in Kansas.

Commander Oxford made this announcement during a joint House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs hearing, which can be viewed here. For more information on the ATLAS initiative, please click here.

###