Currently the Brooklyn VAMC is serving veterans from Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and Northern NJ, as well as soldiers from Fort Hamilton. Closure of 12 West will eliminate 33% of the total inpatient beds, leaving only 46 beds to serve all who require inpatient and surgical care. The result of the loss of these beds will be extremely detrimental to the healthcare available to veterans and negatively impact all surgeries in the Brooklyn VAMC.
The closure of 12 West to save $2 million is simply unacceptable.