After a controversy about two years ago surrounding the planned closing of the Castle Point Veterans Affairs facility in Wappingers Falls, which ended when the government agreed to keep it open, officials are expressing alarm at the closure of an inpatient unit there.
It’s reported that the VA says the acute inpatient unit for veterans will be closed for at least four months while the hospital reevaluates its staffing needs. The closing coincides with efforts of the Trump Administration to close down a variety of government operations but is being positioned as having been planned before Trump returned to the White House.
Republican Congressmen Mike Lawler of New York’s 17th Congressional District and Democrat Pat Ryan of the 18th Congressional District are among those demanding that the inpatient unit be immediately reopened.
“Shutting down acute inpatient care, including services for detoxification and substance abuse care, at the Castle Point VA facility is unacceptable. Our veterans didn’t make the incredible sacrifices they did to be short-changed in services here at home,” Lawler said. “I’m proud to join a bipartisan group of elected officials demanding that this facility stay open – anything less is unacceptable.”
According to Ryan, “This is outrageous, and a fundamental breach of the sacred duty we have to care for our veterans who’ve put their lives on the line for our country. We need to be loud, we need to be strong, and we need to be direct: this unit must be reopened immediately.”
Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino said, “I am deeply disturbed by the abrupt, temporary closure of the E2 Unit at Castle Point VA Hospital. Most of us don’t know or can’t imagine the trauma our service men and women experience on a daily basis, which is why this unit is so vital to their well-being. It isn’t just a facility; it’s a lifeline for our veterans between Albany and the Bronx, especially for those here in Dutchess County. I know firsthand that this unit saves lives, providing critical inpatient care and preparing veterans for rehabilitation.”
Adam Roche of the Dutchess County Office of Veteran Services said, “This is absolutely unacceptable. I know how valuable this unit is because I’ve witnessed firsthand the unbelievable care that the nurses and doctors provide there, and how much they truly care. If we allow this step to be taken, they will keep coming back for more. We will not settle when it comes to care for our veterans. This has to stop now.”
It has been estimated that Castle Point serves more than 7,000 veterans within a community of nearly 40,000 veterans in Orange, Dutchess, and Ulster counties. More than 52% of the veterans are said to be senior citizens.
