Press Releases

Congressman Kennedy (NY-26), during a House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing, secured recognition from Dr. Shereef Elnahal, Under Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, that the Buffalo VA Medical Center ought to be replaced by a new hospital.

(Congressman Kennedy during the hearing.)

During the hearing, Congressman Kennedy summarized the challenges facing the Buffalo VA Medical Center that Under Secretary Elnahal witnessed during his September visit to the facility and emphasized the need for a new hospital, saying, “You were able to see first hand the issues we’re dealing with at that facility—a crumbling hospital that was built in the 1940s, no air conditioning, hardly any parking, room sizes not up to code, the list goes on and on…. You saw first-hand the Buffalo VA hospital is in desperate need of resources and frankly, we need a new VA hospital. This is a priority for me.”

When asked if he agreed, Under Secretary Elnahal confirmed, saying, “I do, Congressman…. I think the Buffalo-area veterans do deserve better infrastructure. And my visit was really one of the highlights of the last several months for me. Getting to meet the team there, getting to meet the veterans there with you, and Congressman Langworthy, really, really did show what was needed there.... I would hope to see new infrastructure at the Buffalo VA Medical Center.” 

Under Secretary Elnahal concluded by expressing excitement for a potential partnership with SUNY University at Buffalo to lease facilities conducive to better care for veterans, saying, “I’m also excited about the potential for a leasing project under PACT Act 704’s authority with the University of Buffalo. We’re exploring the possibility of that. That project would be smaller in scale, probably between $300 and $400 million in the form of a lease, but one that would be able to extend access to care to more veterans and one that would afford more modern infrastructure to the veterans in your district.” 

Additional Information: 

In August, following the removal of top healthcare administrators at the Buffalo VA Medical Center amid allegations of delayed care and administrative failures, Congressman Kennedy swiftly met with the VA Buffalo Medical Center Acting Director and interim leadership staff to discuss how the VA would ensure corrective action is taken to ensure the highest quality care for veterans. To learn more, click here. 

In September, during a Congressional hearing, Kennedy secured a visit to the Buffalo VA Medical Center with Dr. Shereef Elnahal. In advance of the visit, Kennedy expressed outrage over the findings in a report issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA OIG) related to the mistreatment of veterans at the Buffalo VA Medical Center. During the visit, Kennedy joined Dr. Elnahal to tour the facility and speak with patients and staff. To learn more, click here and here.  

In October, Kennedy joined a bipartisan push demanding that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a VA-wide review of the Veterans Integrated Services Networks’ (VISN) community care consult practices to ensure that no veteran suffers egregious delays in care again. To learn more, click here. 

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