Temporary Closure Of Surgical Unit At Brooklyn VA Hospital Sparks Protest From Nurses And Vets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGkhelBVT28

They fought for their country abroad and now they are fighting for access to health services back home.

Nurses and veterans gathered outside the Brooklyn Veterans Affairs Hospital [Brooklyn VA] in Dyker Heights Monday to speak out against a planned 15-month closure of the hospital’s surgical unit, which includes 25 beds.

Nurses say the unit’s shutdown — effective July 1 — will cut inpatient surgical beds by 35 percent, leaving only 62 remaining beds in the entire Brooklyn campus.

The hospital’s management says that there is an increased demand for outpatient care, and that the hospital is shifting to accommodate those needs.

Nurses disagree, saying that a shortage in beds and nursing staff has decreased access to necessary care for veterans.

“RNs are extremely concerned that closing 12W will cut access to care for senior veterans who come to the Brooklyn VA. Many of our patients and their families are seniors, and the Manhattan VA is not easily accessible for them. Closing 12W is not the answer,” said WingYun Ngai, a registered nurse at the Brooklyn VA.

Meanwhile, at Manhattan’s VA hospital, nurses and veterans worry that the closure will put an added strain on services at their location.

“As a veteran who utilizes the VA for my primary health care the closure of the12W medical surgical unit at the Brooklyn VA is unacceptable to me,” said Iraq war veteran Jeff Camp, who utilizes Manhattan’s VA hospital. “Not only will it create a major issue for veterans and their families who will have to travel further into Manhattan to access proper care, it will also decrease accessibility for veterans who use the Manhattan complex because it will require the same case load with fewer nurses on the floor.”

One Vietnam war veteran noted the absence of any elected officials at the event.

“Look around — the politicians that don’t show up here and come here and support us are going to be the ones that don’t have to worry about anyone supporting anybody in the future — they won’t be in office!” he said, prompting cheers from the crowd.

In a joint statement, Senator Marty Golden and recently elected Congressman Dan Donovan questioned the hospital’s decision to close the unit.

“I am deeply disturbed by this proposal and the rapid pace in which it was developed,” they said. “The VA did not brief my office or other local offices before formulating this plan, and news of 12W’s imminent closure has caused panic among veteran patients, nurses and other hospital employees many of whom live in Brooklyn and Staten Island.”

The closure will not result in any job loss for hospital staff, a hospital spokesperson told outlets.