The Schenectady County VA Outpatient Clinic in Rotterdam, N.Y., has closed, according to an Aug. 29 report from Spectrum News 1.
Advocates for the center opposed the closure, saying that the move would make it more difficult for more than 1,600 veterans to receive care.
The VA attributed the closure to quality of care concerns. “The contractor-operated Schenectady clinic was failing to meet the high standards of care veterans have earned,” said Quinn Slaven, press secretary for the VA. “To provide better services and higher-quality healthcare for Schenectady-area veterans, VA is not renewing the Schenectady clinic’s contract and is instead expanding services at other locations.”
Not everyone agrees with that explanation. Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara said the closure is driven by budget cuts and projected cost savings. “I called on the federal VA to pause the closure and consider alternatives that could keep this clinic open. I was met with silence,” said Mr. Santabarbara. “Sadly, this is happening amid federal budget cuts and cost-cutting at the VA. The records I obtained show that projected savings are driving this plan.”
Patients will transition to centers in Clifton Park, Fonda, Oneonta and Albany, N.Y., the report said.
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