VESTAL, NY (WSKG) - A recent visit by a top official with the Veterans Health Administration left Congressman Anthony Brindisi (NY-22) hopeful.
Brindisi and VHA Executive in Charge Dr. Richard Stone last week toured a veteran’s outpatient clinic in the Chenango County community of Bainbridge. There are plans to move the facility 30 miles up Interstate-88 to Oneonta. Brindisi said the visit was a rare one; Stone doesn’t often visit clinics like the one in Bainbridge.
“I think it was good for him to come here to see the needs of a community-based outpatient clinic in a very rural area like Bainbridge,” Brindisi said, adding that Stone didn't give any indication that he's changed his mind about a potential move.
Stone and other VA officials claim the building should be bigger and more accessible.
Those people who want to keep the facility in Bainbridge have pushed back. They claim there’s additional room for expansion at the current facility and it's just a short drive off Interstate-88.
The lease for the current clinic in Bainbridge runs through 2021, but after 2020 the VA can vacate with 90 days notice.