Brooklyn pols blast plans to close VA Medical Center unit
Plans by the Veterans Administration New York Harbor Healthcare System to close an in-patient surgical unit at the Brooklyn VA Medical Center in Bay Ridge are coming under fire from two local elected officials who charged that the shutdown will hurt patients, particularly elderly veterans.
U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan and state Sen. Marty Golden said they are adamantly opposed to the planned closure of the 12W Medical Surgical Unit at the Brooklyn VA. The closure would result in a loss of 25 beds at the hospital at 800 Poly Place, according to Donovan and Golden, who said the closure will force veterans, many of whom are disabled and elderly, to travel to Manhattan for treatments of certain medical issues.
The unit is slated to be closed this summer. New York Harbor Healthcare System is part of the Veterans Administration and runs the VA Medical Center in Brooklyn, as well as facilities in Manhattan and Queens.