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April 22, 2022 • Schneps Media
BY MAX PARROTT
Congressmember Carolyn
Maloney (D-NY) joined with
government union workers
and veterans on Monday outside
the Manhattan VA Medical Center
to protest a recent Veterans Affairs
report that recommends closing the
facility and outsourcing its services
to nearby hospitals.
In response to the proposed costcutting
measures, the American
Federation of Government Employees,
which represents the medical
center employees, called on members
of Congress to take action to
prevent the VA from enacting the
recommendations. Maloney joined
the rally and pledged to help stop
the closure.
“It’s an outrage to us all and it’s
gotta stop. Our veterans should be
able to seek healthcare services in
one location,” Maloney said at the
rally.
Last month, Veterans Affairs
Secretary Denis McDonough issued
recommendations, which will be reviewed
by the Asset and Infrastructure
Review (AIR) Commission, a
board created as a result of the 2018
VA MISSION Act tasked with assessing
the state of VA services.
McDonough’s recommendations
include closing VA medical centers
in Brooklyn and Manhattan and
rerouting the services by means of
“strategic collaborations” to other
medical service providers in the
area.
In addition to the concern that
the closure would deny veterans
their preferred choice in health care
providers and worsen their care, the
union decried the possibility that the
disclosure would cause mass layoffs
within their rank and file.
“You would start to see a lot of
our employees, who are a significant
portion of veterans themselves, be
disenfranchised and pushed out of
their jobs,” Justin Brown, an AFGE
legislative political coordinator, told
amNewYork Metro.
A spokesperson for the VA
said that it was too early to know
exactly what the impacts of the
recommendations might be.
“VA will remain in this market,
and will remain in all of our health
care markets. It is important to
note that any recommendations
to the upcoming AIR Commission
are just that – recommendations.
Nothing is changing now for veteran
access to care or VA employees.
Any potential changes to VA’s
health care infrastructure may be
several years away and are dependent
on Commission, Presidential,
and Congressional decisions, as
well as robust stakeholder engagement
and planning,” wrote VA
Press Secretary Terrence Hayes.
“Veterans will always be at the
center of what we do. The AIR
Commission is an opportunity to
redesign VA health care to maximize
access and outcomes for
current and future generations of
Veterans. In the long run, AIR recommendations
could impact VHA
facilities and staff, but
A report on the VA facilities
in New York estimated that the
Manhattan facility’s deficiencies
are approximately $396.6 million.
Speakers at the event criticized the
findings of the report, which was
conducted pre-pandemic in 2019
and was compiled by a private contractor,
according to AFGE.
“Where’s the accountability for
the mismanagement? This is nothing
but another attempt at privatization,”
said Kevin Lapham, an AFGE
representative.
PHOTO BY MAX PARROTT
City Council Member Keith Powers and Congresswoman Carolyn
Maloney rallied on Monday against the proposed closure of
Manhattan’s VA hospital.
More political coverage online at
POLITICS
Union, Maloney rally to stop Manhattan VA hospital closure