Castle Point: Veterans can comment on proposed closure, get more information at events
Veterans and residents will soon have a chance to comment on the proposed plan to close the Castle Point Veterans Administration campus in Fishkill and replace the services rendered there.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Asset and Infrastructure Review report, released last month, ignited a series of rallies in which public officials railed against the notion of closing the Castle Point campus. Most called for a plan for suitable replacement services to be in place before the facility closes, which VA representatives have said is the intention.
The recommendations are years away from possible approval, let alone implementation. Before that comes to pass, there will be a lengthy review period, in which public comment will be welcomed.
At the event on Thursday, 12:30 p.m. at the VFW 8645 at 101 Route 208, veterans and residents will be able to provide comment, which will then be forwarded to the Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission.
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Veterans who cannot attend can also learn more about how to provide comment at a veterans services town hall event hosted by Dutchess County noon on April 30 at the Elks Lodge at 29 Overocker Road in Poughkeepsie.
VA representatives said a “modernization effort” is necessary to best serve area veterans, with Castle Point aging.
Possible changes proposed include:
Closing the Castle Point VA Medical Center in Fishkill.
Opening an outpatient facility in the Fishkill area.
Expanding services and renovating at the FDR medical center campus at Montrose in the town of Cortlandt.
Closing the outpatient facility in the village of Goshen.
Opening in outpatient facility in the Middletown area.
The recommendations – which include national proposals beyond the Hudson Valley – will be considered by Congress and the presidentially appointed Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission. The commission will then submit its own recommendations to the president for further review in 2023.
Castle Point and Montrose, which are located about 25 miles from each other, are the two Hudson Valley campuses that offer inpatient services for veterans.
The Castle Point VA Medical Center was built in 1923 on a 105-acre campus, with the last major renovation in 1989, the department said. Its inpatient services include medical care and a community living center, and it also offers outpatient services.
The VA is recommending closing Castle Point and consolidating its inpatient programs with Montrose, which also has a community living center and has made investments to modernize its long-term care programs.
Urgent care needs at Castle Point have increased in recent years, according to the VA, which said those needs can be met by other community health care providers. Demand for outpatient services is projected to increase in the next decade, according to the report, which fueled the proposal for a new facility in the Fishkill area.
Thursday’s event is being hosted by Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan and Rep. Antonio Delgado.
“Castle Point cannot close unless the VA ensures that every veteran who uses it will maintain equally accessible, high-quality care through a VA facility in the Hudson Valley,” Delgado said in a statement from Ulster County. “I look forward to the discussion and will do everything I can to further amplify the concerns that are raised.”
Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, a Republican who is challenging the Democrat Delgado for the 19th Congressional District seat, has made similar demands of the final VA changes. He is scheduled to be at the April 30 event.
“While a brand new, state of the art VA facility in Dutchess County is welcome, we need absolute assurance that there will be no reduction in services, and Castle Point will not close until the new facility is fully operational,” Molinaro said in March.
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Castle Point VA: Proposed closure comment opportunities
