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April 2004, Vol 94, No. 4 | American Journal of Public Health 519
© 2004 American Public Health Association

LETTER

VETERANS’ HEALTH CARE

George McAnanama, BS

The author served in the US Army from 1966 to 1968 and is now with Veterans for Peace, Chapter 34 (New York City).

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to George McAnanama, 22 Livingston Ct, Staten Island, NY 10310-1630 (e-mail: gmacan{at}aol.com).

It is not enough to say thank you to the editors of the Journal for the October 2003 cover picture and article on veterans’ health care, which were well received in the veterans’ community.1 Far too often veterans are yesterday’s news, even when our country is engaged in a new conflict.

New York City veterans are currently involved in a struggle to keep the Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital at First Ave and 23rd St open. We have the support of several public officials, such as Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, New York City Council Speaker Gifford Miller, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, and Council Members Margarita Lopez and Christine Quinn, but it is still an uphill fight. The VA CARES (Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services) Commission has visited many VA medical facilities around the country and has slated several for major changes. The commission proposes moving all inpatient care from 23rd St to other VA hospitals.

The CARES Commission also has plans to close down the Montrose and Canandaigua VA facilities in upstate New York. These closings will be devastating to the veterans community as well as to the health care professionals who staff these facilities. The impact on teaching hospitals and funding in these areas is probably viewed as nothing more than "collateral damage," but such a change will affect many lives and probably none for the better. I am sure that New York veterans are not alone in being affected by the draconian measures recommended by the CARES Commission. Should readers want more information on this subject, I can connect them with other veterans who can offer much more knowledge than my limited grasp of this serious situation allows.

The Journal is a welcome, positive, caring voice in very uncertain times for veterans’ health care. Please keep this issue alive in the public health community, as we need all the help we can get.

Reference

1. Fine MJ, Demakis JG. The Veterans Health Administration’s promotion of health equity for racial and ethnic minorities. Am J Public Health.2003;93:1622–1624.[Free Full Text]





This Article
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Right arrow Government

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