Sen. Clinton Seeks to Save VA Hospitals

Guardian ^ | 11/11/03 | Suzanne Gamboa

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

WASHINGTON (AP) - New York Sen. Hillary Clinton is leading an effort to stop the Department of Veterans Affairs from closing underused and outdated hospitals, including one in her state.

Clinton and a group of both other Democratic and Republican senators want to slow down a VA plan to shift the agency's health care focus to outpatient facilities and shutter seven hospitals, including one in Canandaigua, N.Y.

The senators, calling for more hearings, say VA planners have not spent enough time studying veterans' long-term care and mental health needs or weighing the impact on rural veterans.

``Veterans' health care is too important an issue to require an adherence to artificial deadlines and hasty recommendations,'' Clinton said in a letter to Senate colleagues.

She hopes to amend a VA spending bill to prohibit the agency from spending any money on shutting down hospitals until a new analysis is completed.

The department in August proposed shifting focus by placing facilities closer to where veterans live and shedding underused and outdated facilities. The proposal is dubbed Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services or CARES.

A commission appointed by VA Secretary Anthony Principi held dozens of hearings around the country on the proposal and visited several sites. Commission members plan to submit recommendations on the proposal to Principi in about a month. He's expected to decide in mid-January whether to accept the recommendations.

Clinton spokesman Joe Householder said the senator supports realigning VA facilities to save money but fears the agency may shut down places that could fulfill future veterans' needs. The Canandaigua hospital provides mental health inpatient care, for example.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a co-sponsor, said the VA's restructuring proposal ``appears to be an effort to simply close facilities.''

The agency said the issues raised by the senators are being studied, adding there are no plans to eliminate hospital beds, just relocate them where more care can be provided.

The beds at the Canandaigua hospital are used by veterans from throughout the state, said Robert Roswell, VA undersecretary for health. Only 20 are used by veterans from Ontario County, where Canandaigua is located. Moving the beds would allow VA to increase the number of long-term beds in New York and save an estimated $23 million a year by closing the hospital, Roswell said.

The American Legion supports Clinton's stance, but another group, the Disabled American Veterans, has asked her to drop the proposed amendment.

``We are concerned your amendment may completely stall the CARES process and prohibit VA from making the necessary changes to improve its health care system and services for veteran patients,'' said David Gorman, DAV executive director.

Other senators co-sponsoring Clinton's proposed amendment are Mike Enzi, R-Wyo.; Charles Grassley, R-Iowa; Gordon Smith, R-Ore.; Tom Harkin, D-Iowa; Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.; Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

In addition to Canandaigua, the proposed restructuring would close hospitals in Pittsburgh; Lexington, Ky.; Brecksville, Ohio; Gulfport, Miss.; Livermore, Calif., and Waco, Texas. It also would open new clinics and add new hospitals. For example, Syracuse or Albany, N.Y., could get a new spinal cord injury center.

[gathersnomoss]

Hey, if I wasn't spending my own money my wish list would increase significantly in size. Will someone please make M & M Clinton go away?

[muawiyah]

Clinton's the type of person who'd keep an inadequate veterans' hospital open just to harm veterans.

[4everontheRight]

Why does this anti-veteran give a damn about veteran's hospitals? She would just as soon have spit on a veteran in her college days as look at one.
What gives??

[Sacajaweau]

My uncle was at the Canandaigua Hospital. My aunt dreaded the drive from Rochester. Let the density of Vets dictate where a facility goes. Maintaining a structure of that size for the number of patients is a waste. I'd like to see something closer to Rochester where I'm sure there are more vets.

[TonyWojo]

including one in her state.

Is that Illinois or Arkansas?

[blackdog]

Why disabled veterans have not been assimilated into Ted Kennedy's HMO plans is beyond me? I mean just having the government pick up the premium for disabled veterans at the rate charged by HMO's has gotta be a whole lot cheaper and better quality of care than the VA hospitals.

And how could Democrats complain? The HMO act was Kennedy's child back in 1972.

[Arpege92]

"Why does this anti-veteran give a damn about veteran's hospitals?"

She doesn't. The Democrats have to do something that would look good in the eyes of soldiers....past and present! Democrats know that they are not a favorite among people serving in the military and they need to change that for the up and coming election!

[glowworm]

Like all Government programs... they fail to change with the times.. Maybe such specialized hospitals were needed in the 40's because gunshot wounds and amputations required specialized hospitals and outpatient therapy. Today there plenty of "regular" hospitals and nursing homes that can handle these required situations and injurys..

My idea would be to close ALL veteran's hospitals and give all vets a Premium Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance card to get hospital services anywhere and any time.. Why play with a few silly closings and keep the out-dated system..