Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island), is spitting mad, when it come to President Biden and his administration.
The Biden administration stated they plan to close two of the Veterans Administration Hospitals in New York City (Brooklyn and Manhattan).
The VA would shutdown those two hospitals and contract with private medical providers as part of a strategic collaboration to treat veterans.
This sparked an immediate rebuke from Malliotakis. “Me and the veterans I represent are mad as hell, and we will not allow the Biden administration to close these facilities,” Malliotakis said.
The Brooklyn VA hospital is located at 800 Poly Place in Bay Ridge, part of Malliotakis’ district, and the Manhattan facility is at 423 E. 23rd St.
A third VA medical center is located in The Bronx. It is not affected by the proposed overhaul.
The plan would also reduce services at the Staten Island VA clinic at 1150 South Avenue and consolidate its services with the “New Jersey market,” according to the VA plan.
The VA proposal, in dry language, says it would be “discontinuing” services at the “Brooklyn campus” and instead establish a strategic collaboration with another provider to deliver inpatient medical and surgical and emergency department services.
The plan would also close the Manhattan VA hospital and develop a new “urgent care center” with another provider.
A research program at the Brooklyn VA hospital would be relocated to Manhattan under the plan.
“This is unacceptable,” Malliotakis fumed in a March 8 letter sent to VA Secretary Denis McDonough.
Malliotakis complained the privatization and consolidation plan would ‘cripple’ services at the Staten Island veterans’ clinic and force veterans to go to New Jersey for other mental health help.
“That’s no way to treat some of the 138,000 vets in the New York City area who’ve fought for the US,” she said.
Malliotakis urged McDonough to pull the plug on the plan so that “New York veterans who fought for our great nation do not have to travel out of state to receive the needed treatment that they are entitled to.”
It’s not the first time the Department of Veterans has moved to shutter and transfer services.
In 2018, the Bay Ridge facility’s ear, nose and throat clinic was temporarily closed, triggering concerns that the entire campus would shut down.
The Asset Infrastructure Review Commission is required under the law to consider changes to the VA medical system and care.
In its presentation, the VA emphasized the recommendations are not a fait accompli and hearings and meetings will be held with veterans and local workers.
“In the near term the recommendations will have no major impact. Any potential changes to our infrastructure are years away, and in some cases more than ten years away,” the VA said.
Brandon has lost his mind!!!!!
Are you just now noticing?
BIG SURPRISE! Free health care for illegals. Increased co-pays and decreased services for veterans. Subsidized clinics for addicts and alchies and shut down VA facilities for veterans. Authorize government paid sex change operations, reduce the number of covered conditions and services for veterans… What’s the problem? I served from ’70 to the very end of ’78 and then added some years of reserve service. Honorable discharge, sterling record full of commendations. Didn’t get a separation from service exam because it was a couple weeks before Christmas and this bein’ the Holidays, they couldn’t bother to bring in even a corpsman to examine me until “maybe the end of January” (this was at Balboa, too, not some rinky-dink facility). I could forego my claims and documentation of injuries and disability OR I could cool my heels for 6 or 8 or 10 weeks over the Holidays. Every time, thereafter, I applied to the VA for care, I was told I didn’t qualify or it wasn’t covered or there were no doctors or facilities I could go to. In 44 years, I got ONE prescription for Skelaxin filled (and that was a “gimme” because the VA nurse liked me and thought I was getting a raw deal) and got sent to one doctor who saw me one time, examined the wrong body part and then terminated his contract to provide services to VA referred patients because they were too much paperwork and not enough money and the VA never bothered to find an alternate provider to finish the job. So, yeah, I kind of understand why this Congressperson might object to closing 2/3rds of the VA facilities in the nation’s biggest city. Maybe it’s time to make those “thank youi for your service” comments a tad less hollow.
The gov’t doesn’t gaf about us veterans!!!
I’m afraid you are correct Tommie, sad but true. Politicians, yech!
They had rather spend tax dollars on illegals
than our wonderful veterans! So unfair!!!