Today, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) issued the following statement after learning of the Biden Administration's proposal to make significant changes to the services at the Coatesville VA Medical Center.:

“Despite open lines of communication, my office wasn't made aware of the recommendation to drastically alter services at the Coatesville VAMC in advance, so I’m still digesting the information in this report," said Houlahan. "My initial reaction is dismay and I’m inclined to fight the Biden Administration on the proposal. I’m especially concerned because of recent hospital closings in southern Chester County and, as I understand it, Coatesville has the only VA-funded residential rehab for veterans with substance use issues. I will, however, be talking with veterans in our community who would be most impacted by this potential move to get their views and concerns. I have also invited senior members of the Biden Administration to visit the highly rated Coatesville VAMC on multiple occasions, and we look forward to making that happen in the near future so they can hear directly from area veterans as well."

You can read the Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission report here.

Where did the announcement to possibly alter VA services come from?

• On March 14, the VA Secretary McDonough published his recommendations to improve, realign, and modernize the VA health care system nationwide
• Mandated by the MISSION ACT, an Asset & Infrastructure Reviw (AIR) Commission will review the recommendations over the course of the next year
• The AIR Commission will then forward their recommendations to the President, who will determine whether or not to submit those recommendations to Congress

 

What’s recommended for Coatesville VAMC?

• Deactivate Coatesville as a medical center and establish a new medical center in King of Prussia area
• Transition Community Living Center & Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program to King of Prussia VAMC
• Transition inpatient mental health services to Lebanon and Philadelphia VAMC
• Establish a Coatesville/Chester Multi-Service Outpatient Clinic that will remain in Coatesville
• Transition Primary Care, Outpatient Specialty & Urgent Care to Coatesville/Chester Outpatient Clinic to serve local population

 

The timeline:  For the immediate future, no major impact expected.  The decision on the recommendations will be made in 2023.  If the recommendations are approved, the VA must begin implementation within three years.  We expect that any recommended changes to our infrastructure are years away, predicting 10 years or more away.