Legislators Oppose Closing of VA Hospital 

Nearly every member of the state’s federal delegation has signed onto a letter that asks the secretary of Veterans Affairs to reconsider closing the Northampton VA hospital. 

In a March 12 report, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recommended closing the nearly century-old medical center in Leeds, a move that could relocate nursing home care and rehabilitation programs to a VA facility in Connecticut, while transferring outpatient and mental health services to a VA clinic in Springfield and community providers. 

In that report, officials cited “significant facilities maintenance issues as the driving force for its recommendation for closure. 

In a letter sent last week, U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern wrote, “we are very concerned that this recommendation could jeopardize veterans’ access to high-quality, specialized care that the veterans living in Central and Western Mass. deserve.” 

McGovern will host an informational listening session on the matter Wednesday at 5:30 at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8006 in Florence.