Dublin mayor responds to report recommending closure of Carl Vinson VA Medical Center
Mayor Joshua Kight said any changes would be "many years from now."
DUBLIN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The City of Dublin’s Mayor responded Tuesday to a recent U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs report that recommended the closure of the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center.
In a statement posted on the city’s Facebook page, Mayor Joshua Kight said he spoke with Carl Vinson VA Director Manuel Davila about the report on Tuesday.
“Mr. Davila emphasized that the report is just a preliminary assessment related to future growth,” Kight wrote. “There is no impact on current services or employment in Dublin. Any changes would be many years from now, with lots of opportunity for review and shifts in strategy in the meantime.”
The report, released Monday, proposed a new facility “in the vicinity of Macon, Georgia,” calling the Dublin center “outdated” and citing buildings that are “historic and not suited for modern health care delivery.”
The report said enrollees in Bibb County are projected to increase by 4.4% between FY 2019 and FY2029.
“In FY 2019, there were 38,160 enrollees within a 60-minute drive time of the proposed Macon VAMC, while there were 20,202 enrollees within a 60-minute drive time of the existing Dublin VAMC,” it said. “The proposed Macon VAMC will expand access for Veterans to CLC, RRTP, primary care, outpatient mental health care, outpatient specialty care, outpatient surgical services, and urgent care services. A new VAMC in the vicinity of Macon, Georgia (Bibb County) will allow for the recommended relocation of CLC, RRTP, outpatient surgical services, and urgent care services currently provided at the Dublin VAMC.”
Kight said Davila confirmed all construction and investment initiatives at the Dublin VA are continuing and said the city is looking forward to a groundbreaking on a new women’s healthcare center this spring.
“The VA is also exploring a large investment in a Fisher House to provide lodging for families of veterans receiving care in Dublin,” Kight wrote.
“If anything, the report is a call to action for the Dublin VA to identify additional services it can offer the 170,000 veterans who live in its 49-county region,” he continued. “The Carl Vinson VA has been an iconic institution for the City of Dublin since its opening in 1948. The City will continue to be engaged with local, state, and federal officials to make sure that the VA maintains its important role and presence in our community.”
