Nikki Wentling

Nikki Wentling covers veterans for Stars and Stripes and is based in Washington, D.C. She graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor of science in news and information.

Wentling previously covered local government for the Lawrence Journal-World in Lawrence, Kan. and military and veterans for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in Little Rock, Ark.

Email: wentling.nikki@stripes.com | Phone: (202) 761-0865 | Twitter: @nikkiwentling

VA tops 5,000 active coronavirus cases — again

There were 5,039 cases of the virus among VA patients Tuesday, according to department data. The first time that the department reported more than 5,000 active cases was in mid-April.

Brandon Caserta, an aircrew aviation electrician's mate striker in Norflolk, Va., died by suicide June 25, 2018, at age 21. The command investigation into his death found that "belligerence, vulgarity and brash leadership" contributed to Caserta's decision to end his own life.<br>Patrick and Teri Caserta

Lawmaker introduces Brandon Act to improve troops’ access to mental health care

The underlying goal of the Brandon Act is to create a pathway for service members to seek mental health care in confidence, without disclosing it to their command.

Denali National Park in Alaska.<br>Stars and Stripes

Senate passes bill to give millions more veterans free lifetime entry to national parks

The Wounded Veterans Recreation Act amends the current eligibility standards for national park passes and would grant the passes to millions more U.S. veterans.

CDC's laboratory test kit for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. The VA attributes the surge in cases in June to an increase in testing.<br>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Active coronavirus cases at VA have more than doubled since the start of June

The Department of Veterans Affairs started the month with a hopeful milestone – fewer than 1,000 patients remained sick with the coronavirus. In recent days, however, the number of cases has again climbed past 2,000.

VA hospitals see new coronavirus clusters in Arizona, Florida, Texas

Reflecting nationwide trends, Department of Veterans Affairs facilities have seen clusters of new coronavirus cases in Arizona, Texas and Florida, which now rank at the top of the list with the most active cases across the VA system.

According to the odds that the sportsbook FanDuel posted Tuesday, President Donald Trump is a slight favorite to win re-election, at -110. That means a $110 bet would turn a $100 profit. West Virginia residents may soon have a chance to put money on those odds.<br>Stars and Stripes

Trump unveils 'bold' plan to prevent veteran suicide, but critics say it's not enough

The last annual report from the VA showed that suicide among veterans continues to be higher than among the rest of the population, particularly among women. About 20 veterans and members of the National Guard and Reserve die by suicide every day.

Thousands of American flags fill a grassy expanse on the National Mall in October 2018, each representing a veteran or a servicemember who died by suicide in 2018. The 5,520 flags were placed on the Mall by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans for America, an advocacy group trying to draw awareness to the issue of veteran suicide. <br>Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes

White House task force to release plan for veteran suicide prevention

President Donald Trump was set Wednesday to release a national plan to prevent veteran suicide — one that’s more than a year in the making and will take two years to implement fully.

Lawmakers want VA to address backlog of FOIA requests from vets, advocates

Two veterans in Congress introduced legislation Monday that would force the Department of Veterans Affairs to respond to a backlog of requests made through the Freedom of Information Act, many from veterans themselves and advocacy groups.

Veterans and their guardians participating in an Honor Flight gather at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Honor Flight Network said Thursday, June 11, 2020, that it would cancel all trips to the nation’s capital through the end of 2020.
<br>Emma Swislow/Stars and Stripes

Honor Flight cancels all trips for 2020, affecting 20,000 veterans

Under normal circumstances, the network would’ve transported about 20,000 to Washington this year, the group estimated. It was on track to reach the milestone of providing 250,000 trips to veterans in the 15 years since Honor Flight was founded.

"Our troops serving overseas should be focused on doing their jobs, not worrying about whether their family members will be deported," said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., at the National Press Club in March 2019.<br>Stars and Stripes

Sen. Duckworth wants nonveteran presidents restricted from Arlington burial

Only two U.S. presidents are buried at Arlington National Cemetery: William Howard Taft, who died in 1930, and John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963.

Thousands of American flags filled a grassy expanse on the National Mall on Wednesday morning, each of them representing a veteran or a servicemember who died by suicide in 2018. The 5,520 flags were placed on the Mall by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans for America, an advocacy group trying to draw awareness to the issue of veteran suicide. <br>Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes

Veterans group urges White House task force to release plan for suicide prevention after delays

Citing the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout as a source of mental stress, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America called on Secretary Robert Wilkie to publish the VA's past-due plan to prevent veteran suicide.

Abraham Lincoln's quotation about veterans, seen on the Department of Veterans Affairs headquarters in Washington, D.C., June 3, 2020.<br>Joe Gromelski/Stars and Stripes

VA to place gender-exclusive motto in 142 cemeteries

The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to install plaques inscribed with its motto, using male-only pronouns, in 142 cemeteries nationwide — drawing ire from female veterans and advocates who have pushed for a gender-neutral version for years.

VA Undersecretary for Benefits Paul Lawrence testifies Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, during a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing. The VA stopped performing in-person compensation and pension exams April 2 to encourage veterans to stay home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Without the exams, the claims backlog has grown and thousands of veterans are waiting for decisions.<br>Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes

VA backlog of claims grows to 119,000 as work stopped for coronavirus

The backlog of Department of Veterans Affairs claims has grown by tens of thousands of cases since the department halted work because of the coronavirus pandemic, top VA officials said Wednesday.

President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., is seen in an undated photo.<br>Charles Trainor Jr., Miami Herald/TNS

Mar-a-Lago members acted as advisers, organizers at VA, watchdog finds

Three members of President Donald Trump’s private Mar-a-Lago resort acted as advisers and organizers at the Department of Veterans Affairs from 2016 to 2018, the Government Accountability Office determined after an investigation into the private citizens’ involvement in the federal agency.

VA sees rise in coronavirus cases after a gradual decline

The number of VA patients still sick with the virus had gradually decreased in recent weeks and on Thursday fell below 1,000 for the first time since March. However, the department reported a 54% increase in active cases Tuesday.

Members of the District of Columbia National Guard ride in a vehicle on West Executive Avenue next to the White House, Monday, June 1, 2020, in Washington.<br>Patrick Semansky/AP

Democratic lawmakers condemn Trump’s plan to deploy military to protests

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., described Trump’s statements as destabilizing, irresponsible and a step toward autocratic rule.

Headstone of a fallen German WWII POW. <br>Wikicommons

VA relents, will replace Nazi gravestones in national cemeteries

After calls to remove the stones, the department first insisted it would continue to preserve them “like every past administration.”

Damage at the Department of Veterans Affairs headquarters in Washington, Sunday, May 31, 2020, after a night of protests.<br>Michael Balsamo/AP

VA headquarters vandalized; DC mayor announces curfew

Department of Veterans Affairs offices in downtown Washington were vandalized as peaceful weekend protests over George Floyd’s death devolved into clashes with police and destruction.

Department of Veterans Affairs CFO Jon Rychalski, seen here in a 2019 photo, says the VA "absolutely adequately funded at this time."<br>Stars and Stripes

VA doesn't need more money for coronavirus response, CFO says

The Department of Veterans Affairs has spent only 12% of nearly $20 billion that Congress gave the agency for its response to the coronavirus pandemic and will need no more money in coming months, the chief financial officer said Thursday.

Future management of veterans homes to be questioned after pandemic, Wilkie predicts

How much control the federal government should exert over state-run veterans homes will be one of the “most important questions” to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie predicted Thursday.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., talks with VA Secretary Robert Wilkie before a Capitol Hill hearing in 2019. At a hearing this week, Wasserman Schultz called the VA's dedcision to keep maintaining tombstones adorned with swastikas "deeply troubling."<br>Stars and Stripes

VA secretary wants to keep Nazi gravestones for historical purposes

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie argued Thursday against calls from lawmakers to remove German soldiers’ gravestones etched with swastikas from VA-operated cemeteries.

This Monday, April 6, 2020 file photo shows an arrangement of hydroxychloroquine tablets in Las Vegas. According to results released on Thursday, May 7, 2020, a new study finds no evidence of benefit from a malaria drug widely promoted as a treatment for coronavirus infection.
<br>John Locher/AP

VA trials of hydroxychloroquine will continue despite troubling studies

About 1,300 VA patients have received hydroxychloroquine. The department did not say how many of those patients recovered from the virus nor how many died.

Senate Democrats try to restore 48-hour review process for VA claims

Last month, the VA ended a decades-old practice of allowing veterans service representatives to review benefits decisions for accuracy before those decisions are finalized and sent to veterans.

Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., right, wrote a letter to VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, left, criticizing his decision to restrict public ceremonies at national cemeteries during Memorial Day weekend.<br>

Congressman urges VA to open cemeteries for Memorial Day

Congressman Brian Mast on Tuesday criticized a decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs secretary to restrict public ceremonies at national cemeteries during Memorial Day weekend.

Mini flags and balloons are placed around a sign at Holyoke Soldiers' Home in honor of the veterans who have died because of COVID-19 and to remember their service to the country.<br>Hoang Leon Nguyen, The Republican/TNS

As VA deaths exceed 1,000, some hospitals begin to offer in-person care

The number of known deaths from the coronavirus among Department of Veterans Affairs patients exceeded 1,000 on Monday.

Army veteran Stan Brown, a quadriplegic, relies on a team of seven caregivers, one of whom tested positive for the coronavirus last month. Brown fears being left alone without help if he were to contract the virus.<br>Paralyzed Veterans of America

‘Terrified and trapped’: Paralyzed veterans struggle during pandemic

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to be a deadly force in the United States, paralyzed veterans are struggling to meet their basic needs, such as buying groceries, according to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

As VA deaths near 1,000, department boosts hiring, supplies

After weeks of supply shortages and staffing concerns, the Department of Veterans Affairs said it has obtained millions of respiratory masks and hired thousands of employees in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Greater St. Louis Honor Flight veterans line up to meet former Sen. Bob Dole at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., March 30, 2019.<br>Stars and Stripes

Honor Flight Network cancels trips to DC through August

The Honor Flight Network, which sends veterans to tour the war memorials in Washington, D.C., said Thursday that it would cancel trips to the nation’s capital through the end of August.

Tricare eliminates copayments for telehealth during pandemic

Tricare, the military’s health insurance provider, is covering telephone appointments and has eliminated copayments for telehealth services as of Wednesday. The changes will remain in effect through the national emergency, according to a new rule posted on the Federal Register.

National cemeteries plan brief, private ceremonies for Memorial Day

National cemeteries will open from dawn to dusk on Memorial Day, but the usual events to honor deceased service members will be brief and closed to the public.

Army Spc. Fredrick Spencer, with the 531st Hospital Center, performs maintenance on an infusion pump at the Javits New York Medical Station, April 16, 2020.<br>Deonte Rowell/U.S. Army

Democrat-introduced stimulus bill includes support for homeless vets, hazard pay for VA employees

The 1,815-page legislation, which at $3 trillion would be the largest relief package in U.S. history, was criticized by House Republicans as a “liberal wish list” that had no chance of becoming law.

A mammography breast screening device.<br>Getty Images/iStockphoto

3D mammogram coverage will be available soon for Tricare users

“This is a major victory for our female service members and veterans covered under Tricare,” said Sen. Martha McSally. “Women in our Armed Forces now have access to the best preventative breast cancer screenings."

More than 5,000 veterans in recovery from coronavirus, VA says

As of Wednesday, 5,185 veterans and 760 VA employees were in recovery from the virus — about 65% of the department’s nearly 10,000 cases. Thousands of veterans remain hospitalized with the virus.

A member of the Nevada Army National Guard works at a drive-thru coronavirus testing site Tuesday, April 28, 2020, in Las Vegas. <br>John Locher/AP

VA coronavirus deaths near 500, cases surpass 8,500

The numbers provide only a snapshot of cases and deaths among veterans. The VA’s tally does not include veterans who are not enrolled in the VA system or veterans who were treated at community hospitals, rather than VA facilities.

New law restores GI Bill benefits to veterans affected by pandemic

A new law will restore GI Bill benefits to veterans whose campuses closed or who were forced to withdraw from classes because of the virus.

A holding tent stands outside the main homeless shelter in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, March 4, 2020. The shelter and tent are not far from a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers emergency operations vehicle, parked about four blocks away.<br>Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes

Advocates predict a long ‘road to recovery’ for homeless veterans affected by pandemic

It’s uncertain how many homeless veterans have contracted coronavirus or died from it. The VA doesn’t include demographic information in its online data, and the VA’s death toll includes only those who were treated at VA facilities.

A photo from a Department of Veterans Affairs recruitment call advertises open nursing and other positions at the agency.<br>Department of Veterans Affairs

VA hires nearly 1,000 nurses to help with coronavirus response

The VA expects to hire an additional 4,500 employees in the next several weeks, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in a statement.

The Internal Revenue Service headquarters in Washington is seen Jan. 8, 2019.<br>Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Some veterans must file information to receive stimulus money for dependents

The Department of Veterans Affairs said stimulus checks will be sent automatically to veterans who receive VA benefits but don’t typically file tax returns. However, those veterans need to fill out an online form to get additional money for dependents.

Coronavirus deaths among VA patients hit 400

The VA reported there were 400 deaths and 6,363 positive cases of the virus as of early Friday. The death rate across the VA — the country’s largest health care system — continued to rise this week by an average of 4% each day.

Lawmakers criticize VA for changing benefits process amid pandemic

The VA is ending a decades-old practice of allowing veterans service representatives to review benefits decisions for accuracy before those decisions are finalized and sent to veterans.

Veterans group accuses VA of using coronavirus patients as ‘testing subjects’

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America took issue with the Department of Veterans Affairs doling out an unproven treatment for the coronavirus after a study was published this week that determined the drug had no benefit.

A diabetes specialist with the Diabetes Center of Excellence at Wilford Hall Medical Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, conducts a diabetes and prevention ECHO session using telehealth to provide virtual consultation and mentorship for Air Force primary care providers at different military treatment facilities on Nov. 19, 2018.<br>Josh Mahler/U.S. Air Force

During pandemic, military community seeks more mental health care than other Americans, survey finds

Post-9/11 service members, veterans and their families sought mental health care in greater numbers than other Americans did as the coronavirus pandemic took hold, according to a new survey by Cohen Veterans Network.

Between shifts, medical staff at the Atlanta VA Medical Center protest the hospital's rationing of personal protective equipment, Friday, April 17, 2020.<br>Courtesy of National Nurses United

‘It's out of control’: VA nurses demand more protection against coronavirus

Nurses at the VA hospital in Atlanta say the rationing of personal protective equipment is creating a dangerous environment for medical workers.

Hydroxychloroquine tablets.<br>Dreamstime/TNS

Study of malaria drug on VA virus patients shows no benefit, more deaths

About 28% of Department of Veterans Affairs patients who received hydroxychloroquine died, compared with 11% of patients who received standard care.

Outcry continues over masks for VA workers; patient deaths rise 13%

The chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs said Monday he was “very concerned” about the Department of Veterans Affairs workforce during the coronavirus pandemic, as patient deaths rise 13% over the weekend.

Army Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie G. Adkins talks to reporters after his Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House, Sept. 15, 2014.<br>Rick Vasquez/Stars and Stripes

Medal of Honor recipient Bennie Adkins, known for Vietnam heroics, dies of coronavirus

Medal of Honor recipient Bennie Adkins is credited with killing 135 to 175 Vietnamese in a nearly four-day battle while being wounded 18 times and helping fellow soldiers to safety.

Friends, advocates, Vietnam War veterans die days apart

Vietnam War veterans Charles Sharples and Craige Osborne were friends, neighbors and part of the gay community in California’s Coachella Valley.

VA, Treasury will automatically send stimulus checks to veterans

The VA could not give a date when the payments may be distributed but indicated it could take weeks.

VA coronavirus cases surpass 5,000; more than 300 have died

As of Friday morning, 5,087 VA patients have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 301 veterans have died, the department reported.

VA, Treasury still working to get stimulus checks to potentially overlooked veterans

Their concern is for disabled or low-income veterans and surviving family members who receive monthly compensation from the VA but don’t file tax returns or benefit from Social Security.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie, at a Capitol Hill hearing in 2019.<br>Stars and Stripes

VA secretary refuses to share documents that detail PPE supply, lawmakers say

After reassuring lawmakers for weeks that it has no shortage of personal protective equipment for its medical staff, Department of Veterans Affairs leaders are refusing to share documents with Congress that give an official count of its supply.

Facebook, VA will give away video-calling devices to connect veterans

Facebook Inc. and the Department of Veterans Affairs will provide 7,400 free video-calling devices to veterans to help them stay connected to friends and family during the coronavirus pandemic, the department announced Wednesday.

The Paramus Veterans Memorial Home in New Jersey has been among the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with more than two dozen deaths.<br>VA

Coronavirus has now hit veterans homes in 16 states

The coronavirus has taken hold in long-term care facilities across the country and caused thousands of deaths – including state-run homes for aging veterans and their family members.

VA hospitals treat 135 non-veteran coronavirus patients

The Department of Veterans Affairs is helping 10 states with their coronavirus response efforts by opening bed space for non-veteran patients and sending VA medical staff to private facilities.

Marine Corps veteran David Williams recovering at home after being hospitalized with the coronavirus. Williams spent 18 days in the hospital and needed a ventilator to help him breathe.<br>David Williams

Marine Corps veteran recovers from coronavirus after eight days on ventilator

David Williams spent eight days connected to a ventilator and 17 days total at the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital in Little Rock, Ark. When he was released, medical staff lined the hallways and cheered as he was wheeled out.

VA provides $200 million to house homeless veterans in hotels during pandemic

The Department of Veterans Affairs will distribute an extra $200 million to ease the burden on homeless shelters during the coronavirus pandemic and buy hotel rooms for veterans in need of help.

The New Orleans VA has consistently seen the most cases and deaths since the VA started tallying them. As of Wednesday, there were 413 positive cases, and 37 were hospitalized. Twenty-three veterans have died at the New Orleans hospital.<br>VA

VA sees biggest single-day jump in reported coronavirus deaths

Two hundred veterans have died from the coronavirus at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals across the country, the department said Friday.

Flags and balloons are placed around the sign of Holyoke Soldiers' Home on April 3, 2020 in honor of the veterans who have died because of COVID-19.<br>TNS

Feds open investigation into coronavirus outbreak at Massachusetts veterans home

The number of deaths at the state-run Holyoke Soldiers' Home caused by coronavirus had grown to 28 by Thursday, according to multiple local news reports.

A pharmacist shows a bottle of the drug hydroxychloroquine.<br>Ben Margot, Star Tribune/TNS

VA spent $200,000 on controversial anti-malaria drug touted as coronavirus 'game-changer'

Department of Veterans Affairs officials said March 26 that it was “irresponsible” to suggest the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine had any merit as a coronavirus treatment. The same day, the VA placed an emergency order for it.

The Wounded Warrior Project.<br>Brad Tollefson, A-J Media/TNS

Wounded Warrior Project donating $10 million to veterans affected by pandemic

The nonprofit started reaching out to its members — more than 100,000 veterans — to identify who might be in financial distress. Members in need will be able to apply for $1,000 grants, intended to go toward groceries, utilities or housing.

167 VA patients, seven employees dead from coronavirus

In total, 3,265 VA patients have tested positive for the virus, and more than 500 have been hospitalized. Employees of VA medical centers have also been infected — 1,130 as of Wednesday.

Participants in the 2007 Rolling Thunder event arrive in Washington, D.C. after gathering at the Pentagon.<br>Stars and Stripes

Organizers cancel Memorial Day motorcycle ride in Washington

A motorcycle rally in the nation’s capital, designed to replace the popular Rolling Thunder event, won’t happen on Memorial Day weekend because of the coronavirus pandemic, organizers announced Tuesday night.

A disabled veteran takes in the quotes and pictures on glass panels at the new American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, which was dedicated in Washington on Oct. 5, 2014. <br>C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes

Disabled veterans could get left out of stimulus money, lawmakers warn

For some veterans and their families, VA payments are their only income. But, because these payments are not taxable, the IRS lacks payment information for these individuals — whose numbers are potentially in the millions, advocates said.

Nurses urge VA to send protective gear, medical staff to Brooklyn hospital

"I want some awareness of what’s going on,” said nurse Denise Bruno, who has worked at the VA for 12 years. “The government needs to ensure we have the supplies to protect ourselves."

In a 2017 photo, a Vietnam War veteran is shown in his tent on South Beaudry Avenue in Los Angeles.<br>Francine Orr, Los Angeles Times/TNS

Advocates ask VA to immediately distribute funding for homeless veterans

Advocates urged the Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday to immediately disburse millions of dollars included for homeless veterans in the sweeping $2 trillion stimulus bill Congress approved March 27.

The Overton Brooks VA Medical Center in Shreveport, La., is one of the VA facilities nationwide that may treat some non-veteran coronavirus patients.<br>VA

VA is preparing 1,500 hospital beds for non-veteran patients

VA Secretary Robert Wilkie announced Sunday night that the VA would treat civilian patients in Louisiana, Michigan and Massachusetts, in addition to the help it’s providing for non-veterans in New York and New Jersey.

Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., left, and Jerry Moran, R-Kan., seen here at a Capitol Hill on Feb. 5, 2020, urged VA Secretary Robert Wilkie to waive veterans’ filing deadlines that – if not met – could result in loss of VA benefits.<br>Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes

Trump promises VA will extend benefits deadlines, postpone debt collections

President Donald Trump promised the Department of Veterans Affairs would extend veterans’ deadlines for disability benefits and postpone any debt collections as the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic.

Nearly 2,000 VA patients, 500 staff have tested positive for coronavirus

Nearly 2,000 veterans and more than 500 Department of Veterans Affairs employees have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to data released by the department Thursday.

A Department of Veterans Affairs doctor speaks with a patient in this undated file photo.<br>Department of Veterans Affairs

VFW argues abrupt VA change will ‘erode veterans right to competent representation’ in benefits fights

The Department of Veterans Affairs is ending a decades-old practice of allowing veterans service representatives to review benefits decisions for accuracy before those decisions are finalized and sent to veterans.

The New Orleans VA Medical Center.<br>VA

Facing surge of patients, New Orleans VA transfers veterans to Mississippi

The New Orleans VA Medical Center had tested 258 positive cases of the virus Tuesday, more than triple the number reported by the New York Harbor Healthcare System, which had the next-largest number ofcases. New York Harbor serves Manhattan and Brooklyn and reported 72 cases Tuesday.

Rep. Max Rose, D-N.Y, at a House Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing in 2019.<br>Stars and Stripes

Rep. Max Rose is activated for National Guard duty

Rep. Max Rose, a Democrat from New York, will start National Guard duty Wednesday after his unit was called to support the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Coronavirus deaths at VA hospitals tripled over the weekend

Over the weekend, the department reported deaths in the Bronx, N.Y.; Shreveport, La.; Fargo, N.D.; Milwaukee, Wisc.; San Francisco; Minneapolis; Detroit; Washington, D.C.; and Nashville. The VA reported two new deaths in Indianapolis, two in Brooklyn and five in New Orleans.

VA opens some beds in New York City facilities to non-veteran patients

The department determined opening beds to non-veterans would not negatively affect veteran care. “VA is proud to assist the City of New York while continuing its primary mission of caring for our nation’s veterans,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in a statement.