With a Schenectady VA clinic set to close in August, New York Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara is calling on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to reverse course. The Democrat from Rotterdam spoke about the impending closure with WAMC’s Andrew Waite:
Santabarbara: We have a lot of constituents that are veterans. We talk to them quite regularly, and we do hear from them, and we hear some real concern over this. This is a decision that has some real consequences. A lot of the veterans in this area are seniors, individuals that may have disabilities. A lot of veterans in this area — I represent Montgomery County as well — so very rural areas where sometimes they don't have reliable transportation, no real bus service. So this location really provides convenient, trusted primary care that's close to home. Taking that away makes that travel time even longer, and it makes getting care much, much harder.
Waite: And what's your understanding of why this consolidation is happening?
Santabarbara: There's no real explanation other than they are expanding the clinic in Clifton Park. But closing this clinic really doesn't move care forward. It just moves it further away. And that's the issue that we're facing here. Longer drives to that location. And it's great that they're expanding there. It's, you know, that's, that's great they're expanding. But it doesn't mean they should take away care from this community. For us, it means longer drives. It could mean missed appointments. You know, there's harsh weather, there's travel times we've got to take into account, and that amounts to delayed treatment, more pressure on emergency rooms that's really not improving care, that's just creating new barriers. This clinic is part of a support system that local veterans have relied on, and closing it means fewer options and more barriers for these are these are people that served our country that's I find that unacceptable.
Waite: And you said you're going to continue to press for solutions on this. What solutions do you have in mind here?
Santabarbara: I think that we should pause the closure. No. 1, they should sit down with some of the local veterans that I've talked to to understand the challenges that they're going to have and find a solution that keeps care accessible in this community as well, not just expanding in one community and then removing it from another community. I think that conversation really needs to be had, and I think that our veterans want to have the opportunity to express the challenges that they're going to be facing.
Waite: Have you heard back from anyone at the VA?
Santabarbara: No, at this point we I sent a letter out. I've asked for help from our federal partners. I'm hoping that that will at least pause this decision. I'm looking to for support to reverse the decision and just keep the clinic open. I think it makes sense for all the reasons I stated I would love to have a further conversation. I would love to include our veterans organizations, our local veterans. I would love to include, I think we should include that community in the discussion this, you know, I think that veterans in my community were caught off guard with us. You know they feel caught off guard. Decisions like this really should be made with them, not around them.
In a statement, Medical Center Executive Director Darlene DeLancey said: “To improve and expand services for local veterans, VA Albany Healthcare System over the next few months will transition patients from the community-based outpatient clinic in Schenectady” to nearby VA facilities. The statement mentions facilities in Clifton Park, Fonda, Oneonta and Albany.
The statement says more than 80% of Schenectady clinic patients live closer to the Clifton Park clinic. It says to accommodate the changes, the VA will increase staff and services in Clifton Park, including adding two Patient Aligned Care Teams and more resources for women Veterans.
The VA says it notified Schenectady veterans, veteran groups and lawmakers of the coming changes this month.
