The decision by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to shift all inpatient care from the Lakeside Division of the VA Chicago Healthcare System to other VA facilities is of great concern to members of the board of directors of the Streeterville Organization of Active Residents. Streeterville is home to one of the most renowned networks of health-care institutions in the world.
Lakeside is an integral component of this network, making significant contributions to the training of medical professionals and the delivery of health services.
We know that veterans and their families depend on having inpatient services available at Lakeside. This is especially true for low-income and disabled veterans. It has been a valuable health-care provider for veterans and a good neighbor.
Although we regret the VA’s decision to shut down its Lakeside inpatient services, we believe the future of the facility is far from settled. We trust that discussions about future changes at the Lakeside facility will include veterans and their families, VA Lakeside staff, experts at the Northwestern Medical School and Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and residents of Streeterville–in other words, the community.
