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thedrifter
08-02-03, 05:20 PM
From: VETERANS VOTING BLOCK, THE ILLINOIS CHAPTER
By Way Of: Samuel L. Hennon, VETERANS VOTING BLOC, THE ILLINOIS CHAPTER; State Coordinator
__________________________________________

Received this article from contact in New York. It was burried in the TIMES. ...The Corpsman
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July 30, 2003
>
> VA facilities-closing announcements due Friday
>
> By Rick Maze
> Times staff writer
>
>
> Veterans and politicians are bracing for an expected
> Friday announcement on the proposed closing or
> downsizing of veterans?? medical facilities.
> An independent commission that has been studying the
> Department of Veterans Affairs health care system is
> expected to recommend closing seven or eight
> hospitals and downsizing a dozen others, according to
> congressional sources who have been briefed on the
> plan.
>
> Sources would not disclose which hospitals are
> endangered, but said the so-called CARES Commission
> has been looking at eliminating hospitals that are
> underused or in such a state of disrepair that
> renovation is impractical.
>
> In a June 4 letter updating VA employees about the
> hospital review process, Robert H. Roswell, VA??s
> undersecretary for health, said, "Some of the
> buildings and land VA owns are not well suited to
> veterans?? health care needs."
>
> The review process leading up to the recommendations
> is trying to take a "national perspective," Roswell
> said.
>
> "Change is never easy, but is often necessary to
> produce healthy improvements," he said.
>
> One lawmaker clearly worried is Rep. Gregory W.
> Meeks, D-N.Y., who tried without success to get language
> attached to the 2004 veterans' appropriations bill
> preventing the St. Albans Veterans Facility in
> Queens, N.Y., from being closed. The 386-bed facilities
> provides inpatient and outpatient care, including
> extended care for veterans who cannot easily be
> placed in nursing homes. Meeks" amendment that would have
> prevented the hospital from being closed was
> defeated by voice vote July 25 during debate on the funding
> bill.
>
> Rep. James T. Walsh, R-N.Y., chairman of the
> appropriations subcommittee overseeing the VA
> budget, said he understands Meeks' concern. "Certainly we
> are all nervous about its impact upon our own veterans"
> medical centers," Walsh said. "This is of great
> concern to us."
>
> Walsh, however, said he opposed the amendment. "It
> would be wrong for us to step in on behalf of one
> center because all members have the same concern,"
> Walsh said. "Any protection built into this bill for
> any specific facility would undermine the overall
> plan."
>
> VA officials said the hospital realignment
> announcement now scheduled for Friday already has
> been delayed once. It was supposed to happen July 15, but
> the commission asked for and received an extension,
> officials said. Officials cautioned that the Friday
> announcement could be delayed again, although they
> believe it would not be for more than a few days.


Sempers,

Roger
:marine:

greensideout
08-02-03, 08:09 PM
The US has lots of money to rebuild Iraq for the IRAQIS but does not have the money to rebuild hospitals for OUR VETERANS?

We've got a bookkeeping problem! Or is it priorities?