Letter to Robert McDonald, Secretary of the US Department of Veterans Affairs - Members of Long Island Congressional Delegation Call On V.A. Secretary to Address Deteriorating Conditions at Northport V.A.

Letter

Dear Secretary McDonald,

We are very concerned about reports of deteriorating conditions at the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Northport, New York. As you know, Long Island is home to a significant veteran population and constituents from our combined four Congressional Districts have all sought care at the Northport VAMC. We believe these veterans deserve the best care available and want to make certain the staff at the Northport VAMC have the resources necessary to care for them.

Reports indicate that operating rooms have closed, but the Northport VAMC director indicated publicly that one operating room may reopen next month. Meanwhile, patients requiring urgent operations have been sent elsewhere in New York, an inconvenience our nation's veterans should not have to bear. With no indication of when the additional operating rooms will reopen, immediate action must be taken to fix these issues and provide our veterans with high quality care.

We are writing today to draw your attention to this matter and to request information regarding how many veterans across Long Island have been impacted by these issues at the Northport VAMC, what steps will be taken to reopen the operating rooms and ensure the safety of patients and staff throughout the facility, and how long you expect these actions to take. The Northport VAMC serves thousands of veterans in our districts and these veterans deserve the highest level of care available. This is a standard that should be applied throughout the entire country at every single VAMC.

We appreciate your assistance with this matter and commend your commitment to American veterans. We look forward to your timely response.