U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs May Close Coatesville, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Shift Services to New King Of Prussia Facility

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va building
The Coatesville VA Medical Center.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs aims to close 17 medical centers across the country, including centers in Coatesville and Philadelphia, writes Patricia Kime for Military.com.

The department’s recently unveiled plan also calls for the shift of services to more than 30 new or rebuilt hospitals. In some cases, private care would be relied upon.

King of Prussia would be the location of one of the new state-of-the-art facilities.

In areas with diminishing populations of veterans, the need for these healthcare facilities dwindles. However, multiple lawmakers have weighed in on the injustice it does to veterans, who require military aid not often supplied at regular hospitals. 

“I will fight tooth and nail against any proposals that blindly look to reduce access to VA care or put our veterans at a disadvantage,” said Sen. Jon Tester, who chairs the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.

Meanwhile, other lawmakers see it as a new opportunity to replenish the VA’s slowly crumbling infrastructure. 

The final plans must be approved by Congress before any removal or construction can begin.

Veterans receiving aid from either the Coatesville or Philadelphia VA Centers would be relocated to nearby hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

In the fiscal year 2019, the Coatesville VA Medical Center served 18,860 veteran patients, had 231,168 outpatient visits, and completed 2,240 inpatient and residential admissions. It has 302 operating beds and approximately 1,300 employees.

Read more about the proposal from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at Military.com.

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