Res 0130-2022

Res. No. 130 ..Title Resolution calling on the Federal Government to halt the planned closure of Manhattan and Brooklyn's Veteran Affairs Medical Centers. ..Body By Council Members Brewer, Holden, Yeger, Hanif, Sanchez, Stevens, Schulman, Kagan, Ung, Barron, Joseph, Ayala, Restler, Nurse, Williams, Far�as, Riley, Paladino, Carr, Ariola, Borelli and Vernikov Whereas, As of 2021, an estimated 210,000 veterans live in New York City (NYC) according to NYC Department of Veteran Services; and Whereas, Veterans selflessly served and sacrificed for our city and our country, and we owe them a great deal of gratitude; and Whereas, Veteran Affairs medical centers were created to best help veterans with services "under one roof" with (1) system-wide clinical expertise regarding service-connected conditions and disorders; (2) a team approach to primary care that is veteran-centric; (3) a holistic view that includes physical, psychosocial, and economic determinants; (4) and critical support services for family members and caregivers; and Whereas, Veteran Affairs medical centers are essential and extraordinary in terms of bringing together comprehensive expertise in a single health care system with experts in preventive care, inpatient hospital services, urgent and emergency care services, mental health, and support services; and Whereas, COVID-19 has greatly affected the veteran population's health, has exacerbated social isolation and mental health needs, and made these centers more needed than ever; and Whereas, The Veteran Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare System is a set of hospitals run by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in the NYC area; and Whereas, It is comprised of three medical centers, two community outpatient clinics, and three veteran centers; and Whereas, We continue to keep our promise to veterans that dates back to President Lincoln's second inauguration when he charged a wounded nation to care for those "who shall have borne the battle" and for their families and their survivors; and Whereas, That promise echoes into today that there is no more noble mission in this country than keeping that fundamental promise; and Whereas, The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs recently recommended closing the Veteran Affairs medical centers in Brooklyn and Manhattan and establishing partnerships with community affiliates and outpatient clinics; and Whereas, Now more than ever, the federal government should remain fully committed to fulfill the sacred obligation we have for those who served by continuing to advocate for our local NYC Veteran Affairs medical centers to continue to be premier, all-in-one centers for our veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the Federal Government to halt the planned closure of Manhattan and Brooklyn Veteran Affairs Medical Centers. VM 4/4/2022 LS #8347