Moulton: Too soon to sound off on VA closure
‘The beginning of a long process’
While the majority of the state’s congressional delegation has already sounded off on their displeasure with the VA’s decision to recommend closure of a century-old hospital in Northampton, U.S. Rep Seth Moulton urged patience.
“As someone who gets my own healthcare through the VA, I know how important it is for services to be accessible. But this is the beginning of a long process, and it is important to let the VA make their case first before Congress weighs in,” he told the Herald in an emailed statement.
In March, the VA published a report on assets and infrastructure in the VA system showing the Northampton VA Medical Center, in Leeds, was recommended for closure.
The VA cited required maintenance and upgrade costs to modernize the hospital as the reason.
Built in 1923 and officially known as the Edward P. Boland VA Medical Center, the hospital would require at least $121 million in renovations, the VA said in their report.
Last week, U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern and the most of rest of the commonwealth’s federal congressional delegation — eight representatives and both senators — sent a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough saying his department’s recommendation was flawed.
Moulton was the only delegate who did not sign the letter.
Once a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, Moulton said Wednesday that in addition to waiting for the VA to defend their position, he would need to hear from his fellow veterans before weighing in further.
“My goal is to ensure that veterans are heard in the process and that their needs are met,” he said.
In the letter, McGovern and associates told the VA their recommendation is wrong for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that the VA has already spent nearly as much as recommended, $108 million so far, with $90 million more coming.
“The VA has already made significant investments to the facility and closure would be a waste of those improvements,” McGovern wrote.
Besides, McGovern told the VA, their data is all wrong and doesn’t include many of those improvements.
“(The) closure recommendation doesn’t accurately reflect the medical center’s current standing or future potential because it largely relied on old data from FY2015 through FY2018,” the letter read.
Even if the VA were correct, McGovern said, closing it would severely alter the circumstances of thousands of veterans in Massachusetts.
“Of particular concern is that many veterans would now need to travel at least two-hours round trip to receive care at VA medical centers in West Haven, Connecticut; eastern Massachusetts; or Albany, New York,” McGovern told McDonough.
On Wednesday, McGovern was in Florence at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8006 for a listening session to hear from concerned residents.