Brooklyn VA Hospital to Remain Open: Downstate Affiliation Cited by Secretary of Veterans Affairs as Key to Decision
Aug 31, 2006
When James Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, announced that the Brooklyn and
Manhattan VA hospitals would remain open, he noted that the close ties of SUNY Downstate
and New York University to the VA hospitals played a key role in his decision.
The "VA is able to provide top-notch health care for veterans thanks, in part, to
the cooperation of our SUNY and NYU affiliates," Mr. Nicholson said. The "VA looks
forward to continuing our strong working relationships with those partners."
Eugene B. Feigelson, MD, former senior vice president for biomedical education and
research and dean of the College of Medicine at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University,
worked closely with the Local Advisory Panel examining the issues related to the possible
closure of area VA hospitals.
The announcement ended a detailed, two-year examination of the possibility of consolidating
the Manhattan and Brooklyn facilities.
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is the only academic medical center is Brooklyn,
Staten Island, or Queens, serving the more than three million residents of the region.
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.