STANDING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH HUDSON VALLEY VETERANS AT CASTLE POINT VA, SCHUMER BLASTS PROPOSAL TO CLOSE MID-HUDSON VALLEY’S ONLY VA HOSPITAL WITH NO CLEAR PLAN IN PLACE FOR THE HEALTHCARE OF IMPACTED VETERANS; SCHUMER DEMANDS VA IMMEDATELY WORK WITH LOCAL VETS & LEADERS TO AVOID ANY AND ALL GAPS IN HEALTHCARE AND KEEP CRITICAL CARE EASILY ACCESSIBLY AS A ONE STOP HUB FOR HUDSON VALLEY VETERANS

Last Week, The VA Released A Proposal To Close The VA Medical Center In Dutchess County, Senator Says VA Plan Would Directly Impact Care For Over 7,000 Hudson Valley Veterans

Senator Lambastes VA For Not Consulting With Local Veterans, Leaders & Nonprofits That Support VA Hospital Prior To Report

Schumer: HV Veterans Shouldn’t Have To Fight For Their Healthcare

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Hudson Valley veterans, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer blasted recommendations included in the recently revealed Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)  Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission for 2022, which proposed the closure of the Castle Point VA Medical Center in Dutchess County. Schumer said that the proposed closures would affect thousands of Hudson Valley veterans. Today, the senator sent a letter directly to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough opposing recommendations for the closure and called on the VA to immediately give local community partners a chance to demonstrate why closing the local VAMC would undermine the VA and Commission’s goals for ensuring veterans can access world-class care. Promising to fight for them, the senator also assured local veterans, their families and dedicated caregivers in the community that these recommendations were not final, and still required numerous reviews that could result in changes and would take years before being adopted and implemented.

“To close the Castle Point VA Medical Center with no clear plan in place for the thousands of veterans who use this facility for their healthcare is unacceptable and won’t become a reality. Our brave service members fought to protect our freedom, and to suggest ripping away their local VAMC as we finally see the light at the end of the tunnel from the pandemic cannot pass,” said Senator Schumer. “On top of that, the fact that many of our veterans and community leaders who work nonstop to help them were not consulted throughout this process cannot continue. That is why I am here in Dutchess County today standing with our brave Hudson Valley veterans to call on the VA to rework their recommendations and keep tried and true local healthcare options open so our veterans can continue to receive the lifesaving care they need and deserve. Rest assured, I will fight to make sure that these recommendations as written will not make it across the finish line and that the community is involved every step of the way.”

Schumer explained that the VA’s recommendations to the AIR Commission released last week include an early proposal close the Castle Point VAMC and relocate of inpatient medical and urgent care services for the veterans who currently use the facility. The senator and veterans advocates both argued that while the VA cites a projected 20% decrease in healthcare enrollees as the reason for this recommendation, that wider population trends in these same counties and region overall counter this conclusion and warrant deeper data analysis. Castle Point VAMC currently serves over 7,000 veterans within a community of nearly 40,000 veterans in Orange, Dutchess, and Ulster counties, with over 52% of them being senior citizens.

In addition, the senator highlighted a February 2022 Government Accountability Office (GAO) study which identified incomplete information and gaps in the data the VA compiled for their market assessments, which determined the recommendations. Schumer said a notable example was the VA lacked complete data on the extent to which its contractors maintain an adequate number of non-VA providers to ensure veterans have timely access to community care. Schumer explained that this in tandem with the lack of coordination with local veterans and nonprofit groups creates a serious cause for concern. For example, VetZero, a local non-profit that joined Senator Schumer in Dutchess County today provides free rides for Hudson Valley veterans to their VA appointments. They have conducted over 414 rides since the start of 2022 alone and completed almost 1,100 rides last year for veterans around the Hudson Valley. The current recommendations do not address providers like this and the stress that shutting down Castle Point VAMC will have on these programs, many of which that are already at capacity. This could negatively impact the healthcare veterans are able to early access and receive.

Schumer called on the VA to immediately begin to work with local leaders who would be able to provide a more complete picture for the care and needs of the local veterans population. Senator Schumer wrote directly to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough to highlight these concerns and urged the VA to rework their recommendations to keep the Castle Point open to the benefit of veterans across New York.

A copy of Senator Schumer’s letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough appears below:

Dear Secretary McDonough,

I write to express my strong opposition to the recommendations the Department of Veterans Affairs made to the AIR Commission to close the Castle Point VA Medical Center (VAMC) without soliciting adequate input from local community partners or providers in the Hudson Valley who support its ongoing operations and the larger veteran’s community. As the Asset and Infrastructure Review Commissions (AIR Commission) process continues, collaboration with local advocates and veterans who use these services will be critical in addressing top line issues such as, but not limited to, the overall quality of care, transportation for veterans, maintaining a community-driven approach to structure and support, and the maintaining a one stop campus within a high-quality multi-operation healthcare system.

As you know, the Castle Point VA Medical Center in Dutchess County is not just a doctor’s office; it is one stop service, a community hub, and an alliance between all veterans in the Hudson Valley. Castle Point VAMC currently serves over 7,000 veterans within a community of nearly 40,000 veterans in Orange, Dutchess, and Ulster counties, with over 52% of them being senior citizens. These facilities add critical capacity and are key providers for Hudson Valley veterans in need of a variety of inpatient services including its inpatient services include medical care and a community living center, and it also offers outpatient services.

Importantly, this February, GAO identified gaps in the data VA compiled and certified for the market assessments that were foundational for to determining both the supply of and demand for non-VA care that is provided by community providers. The VA must look at ease of access and by extension availability of transportation to any proposed new facility in any assessment going forward. For example, VetZero, a local non-profit that provides free rides for veterans to their VA appointments, has conducted over 414 rides since the start of 2022 and completed almost 1,100 rides in 2021 alone to veterans around the Hudson Valley. The current recommendations do not account for the key role community services like this play in ensuring veterans have access to care.  The stress that shutting down Castle Point VAMC and relocating services to distant facilities will severely burden non-profit programs that are already at capacity and ultimately leave veterans stranded and unable to reach critical medical services. We must remain vigilant in not only providing high quality healthcare for our veterans, but also ensuring that veterans can reach their care providers. If this care is disrupted, especially for example programs like group therapy sessions provided by Castle Point VAMC, we could see a large surge in mental health issues, higher rates of mortality in emergency medical situations and more throughout our Hudson Valley veterans’ community.

Given the recent GAO report and multiple veterans, community partners and advocates expressing deep concerns regarding the recent report recommending the closure of the Castle Point VA, the recent report represents a clear failure of improving key services and making meaningful change for the veterans in the Hudson Valley. Going forward, I urge you to work with community partners and veterans who are at the heart of the VA’s mission to develop alternate recommendations that more accurately reflect the critical needs for the Hudson Valley Veteran community.

Sincerely,

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