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For Immediate Release: June 17th, 2004 Contact: Contact: Jordan Isenstadt (c) 516.991.3842 (w) 212.490.9535 (f) 212.490.2151 ***PRESS RELEASE*** State Senator Liz Krueger Fights to Save Manhattan VA Hospital New York, NY – State Senator Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) today voiced her opposition to a series of
proposals for substantial service reductions at the Veterans’ Administration
(VA) Hospital in Manhattan. The
Department of Veteran Affairs Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services
(CARES) Commission has recommended the study of transferring all acute care
from Manhattan to the Brooklyn VA Hospital in Bay Ridge, and moving a
substantial part of outpatient services to other facilities in the Bronx and
East Orange. “These changes would
severely compromise service for veterans and their families living in
Manhattan and Queens,” stated Senator Krueger. “I am concerned that if
these changes are implemented, the ultimate result will be the closure of the
Manhattan VA Hospital, which will no longer be providing enough services to
adequately utilize its facility.”
The VA Hospital in Manhattan is recognized as one of the
best VA Hospitals in the country. With
1.3 million veterans in the NY Metropolitan region, the Manhattan VA Hospital
currently has a waiting list for patients seeking to use its services. People
travel to the Manhattan VA Hospital from as far away as Philadelphia, because
of the high quality of care it provides. The VA Hospital is also located in an area known as “bedpan
alley,” which is an area that has a concentration of hospitals on the East
Side of Manhattan. This location has
allowed the VA Hospital to develop strong professional and academic
relationships with surrounding institutions and their physicians to the benefit
of VA patients. “Our veterans deserve
the best medical care possible, and thanks to the relationships the VA in
Manhattan has developed with its neighboring institutions, veterans can
receive the highest quality care,” remarked Senator Krueger. “This relationship also benefits the
surrounding hospitals as the VA is in a position to work together with these
institutions on a variety of health care issues.” “During this period when we are once again asking our
armed forces to make incredible sacrifices, it would be unconscionable to
reduce services for those who have served our country,” stated Senator
Krueger. “Veterans deserve access
to the best possible care, and the VA Hospital in Manhattan has provided them
with such exemplary care. Reducing
services or closing this facility would undermine the health and safety of
veterans in the New York region. I
strongly urge the CARES commission to reconsider their proposals regarding
the VA Hospital in Manhattan.” |
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