LYNN — A recommendation by The Veterans Affairs Bedford Healthcare System to build or lease a larger veterans’ clinic out of the city would result in closing the clinic on Boston Street.
The recommendation was announced Monday evening and was submitted to the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission for review. If approved, two clinics located in Lynn and Gloucester will shut down to make way for a larger multi-clinic in Salem.
Brigadier General Andrea Gayle-Bennett, a veteran who fought in Iraq, said the closure of the clinic would decrease equitable accessibility for veterans.
“When you look at the statistics, Lynn has 100,000 people,” Gayle-Bennett said. “It’s a majority-minority city. If you’re talking about equitable accessibility, moving to a predominantly white neighborhood is not the way to do it.”
According to the VA Inspector General report No. 21-002-60-232, dated Sept. 9, 2021, 2,000 patients are enrolled in the clinic. Lynn is home to the highest number of minority veterans in the state, per the 2020 United States Census.
Afghanistan veteran and Purple Heart recipient Dan Cote was also opposed to the recommendation and said driving to Salem would be inconvenient.
“The major reason I use this clinic is for my therapy sessions,” Cote said. “I can just go in and have a checkup anytime I need. If I drive all the way down to Bedford or Jamaica Plain, it’s a big inconvenience.”
VA Bedford Healthcare System (VA Bedford) Public Affairs Officer and Congressional Liaison Kat Bailey said there is no final decision to shut down the two clinics, despite suggesting the recommendation for the multi-clinic.
“It is important to note that any recommendations to the upcoming AIR Commission are just that — recommendations,” Bailey said. “Nothing is changing now for veteran access to care or VA employees.”
According to Bailey, the benefits of a large clinic in Salem would serve the three communities of Lynn, Gloucester and Salem and provide more comprehensive services.
“The VA would only pursue changes in Lynn and Gloucester as part of a larger plan, which included a new site in Salem,” she said. “Any potential changes to VA’s healthcare infrastructure may be several years away and are dependent on commission, presidential, and congressional decisions, as well as robust stakeholder engagement and planning.”
Bailey said she was not sure when a final decision would be made.
Lynn’s Director of Veteran Services Michael Sweeney said the recommendation puts veterans in Lynn at a disadvantage. He said the expanded services could be provided at the Lynn clinic if the department chose to invest in its expansion.
“They say the multi-clinic recommendation would offer more expanded services for veterans,” Sweeney said. “Why can’t we do that in Lynn?”
Before the announcement, a meeting was held Monday night between Sweeney, representatives from VA Bedford, Mayor Jared Nicholson and other city officials. Sweeney said the goal was to get clarity from the department if Lynn was still a part of the conversation.
Additionally, Sweeney said the city requested access to the data and information the department collected to draft the recommendation.
No additional information was provided other than the number of veterans in the area, he said.
Sweeney said the recommendation was made without the input of veterans and no public forums have been announced by the department. He said the department would hold meetings in the future, but no immediate timeline was given.
“This is the same plan that they proposed 15 years ago when they tried to move the clinic to Gloucester,” Sweeney said. “Back then, we held public forums, expressed our displeasure with the decision and now they are doing it again.”
