Max
06-29-2003, 04:09 PM
Memo outlines costs of closing division of VA hospital
Closing one of the two divisions of an Augusta veterans hospital would not only be costly in the long run, it also would force its patients to move to other cities and would have a serious impact on the local economy, according to an internal memo provided to The Augusta Chronicle.
Two members of a national commission studying whether to close or keep VA facilities are scheduled to visit the Uptown Division of the Augusta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers on Monday.
The VA's Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services Commission was scheduled to make recommendations to VA Secretary Anthony Principi for a decision in September, but that deadline has been pushed back, likely to the end of the year, said Augusta VA spokeswoman Rosalie Bell.
"They're looking at lot of facilities," she said. "In particular they're looking at a lot of the two-division facilities (like Augusta). It doesn't mean that they are going to close those facilities. It just means that they're looking at, 'Is there a better way to do business?"'
An internal document that appears to be part of that process, headlined "Suggested Strategy to Eliminate 24-hour operations at the Augusta VA Medical Center's Uptown Division," outlines some pretty heavy consequences.
The facility's 68-inpatient psychiatry unit could not be replaced by other facilities in Augusta, the report said, and could not be picked up by Atlanta or Dublin VAs. The beds might be replicated in the Columbia VA at some point in the future, but at considerable cost because of the need to rent space, the report said.
The Uptown Division also supports at least 65 patients enrolled in an intensive outpatient mental health treatment program who occasionally must enter the psychiatric unit, the report said. Those patients would likely have to move to wherever those psychiatry beds were relocated.
The Columbia VA also could take 92 of the Uptown Division's 132 Nursing Home Care Unit beds, but at a cost of $7.5 million for extensive renovations and an additional $1.5 million a year to lease space for the specialty unit that would be displaced.
Moving the Uptown Division's 15-bed Blind Rehabilitation and 10-bed Medical Rehabilitation units to the Downtown Division would require $4 million in renovations for each and would displace two units serving the Spinal Care Injury units, which would then require a "domino move" that would have its own consequences, according to the report. Three research units at the Downtown Division would be bounced to the Uptown Division, which would require $4 million worth of renovations for each.
The move would likely meet with stiff resistance from the Medical College of Georgia because the Downtown Division labs are used by many with dual appointments at both MCG and the VA, according to the report.
Closing the Uptown Division also would mean the loss of 290 positions and more than $15.5 million in salary and benefits, the report said.
Attempts to close units at the Uptown Division have been fought strenuously by veterans advocates such as Pete Wheeler, the longtime commissioner of the Georgia Department of Veterans Service. The prospect of losing the entire division, and the resulting impact on care across the region, left him outraged.
"The Spinal Cord Injury unit is the only one in the three-state area" served by this VA region, Mr. Wheeler said. "It's a very serious thing, and we've got to make sure we protect this hospital. If anything, it needs to be expanded."
Reach Tom Corwin at (706) 823-3213 or tomc@augustachronicle.com.
Click here to return to story:
http://www.augustachronicle.com/stories/062903/met_071-7707.000.shtml
Closing one of the two divisions of an Augusta veterans hospital would not only be costly in the long run, it also would force its patients to move to other cities and would have a serious impact on the local economy, according to an internal memo provided to The Augusta Chronicle.
Two members of a national commission studying whether to close or keep VA facilities are scheduled to visit the Uptown Division of the Augusta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers on Monday.
The VA's Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services Commission was scheduled to make recommendations to VA Secretary Anthony Principi for a decision in September, but that deadline has been pushed back, likely to the end of the year, said Augusta VA spokeswoman Rosalie Bell.
"They're looking at lot of facilities," she said. "In particular they're looking at a lot of the two-division facilities (like Augusta). It doesn't mean that they are going to close those facilities. It just means that they're looking at, 'Is there a better way to do business?"'
An internal document that appears to be part of that process, headlined "Suggested Strategy to Eliminate 24-hour operations at the Augusta VA Medical Center's Uptown Division," outlines some pretty heavy consequences.
The facility's 68-inpatient psychiatry unit could not be replaced by other facilities in Augusta, the report said, and could not be picked up by Atlanta or Dublin VAs. The beds might be replicated in the Columbia VA at some point in the future, but at considerable cost because of the need to rent space, the report said.
The Uptown Division also supports at least 65 patients enrolled in an intensive outpatient mental health treatment program who occasionally must enter the psychiatric unit, the report said. Those patients would likely have to move to wherever those psychiatry beds were relocated.
The Columbia VA also could take 92 of the Uptown Division's 132 Nursing Home Care Unit beds, but at a cost of $7.5 million for extensive renovations and an additional $1.5 million a year to lease space for the specialty unit that would be displaced.
Moving the Uptown Division's 15-bed Blind Rehabilitation and 10-bed Medical Rehabilitation units to the Downtown Division would require $4 million in renovations for each and would displace two units serving the Spinal Care Injury units, which would then require a "domino move" that would have its own consequences, according to the report. Three research units at the Downtown Division would be bounced to the Uptown Division, which would require $4 million worth of renovations for each.
The move would likely meet with stiff resistance from the Medical College of Georgia because the Downtown Division labs are used by many with dual appointments at both MCG and the VA, according to the report.
Closing the Uptown Division also would mean the loss of 290 positions and more than $15.5 million in salary and benefits, the report said.
Attempts to close units at the Uptown Division have been fought strenuously by veterans advocates such as Pete Wheeler, the longtime commissioner of the Georgia Department of Veterans Service. The prospect of losing the entire division, and the resulting impact on care across the region, left him outraged.
"The Spinal Cord Injury unit is the only one in the three-state area" served by this VA region, Mr. Wheeler said. "It's a very serious thing, and we've got to make sure we protect this hospital. If anything, it needs to be expanded."
Reach Tom Corwin at (706) 823-3213 or tomc@augustachronicle.com.
Click here to return to story:
http://www.augustachronicle.com/stories/062903/met_071-7707.000.shtml