Bonham, Texas -- On Monday, March 14, 2022, the Veterans Affairs Department recommended the closure of a dozen hospitals and Bonham is on the list.

It is important to note that the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission will have a year to review the VA's recommendation to close hospitals in Alexandria, La.; Bonham, Texas; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Castle Point, N.Y.; Chillicothe, Ohio; Coatesville, Pa.; Fort Meade, S.D.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Hampton, Va.; Hot Springs, S.D.; Muskogee, Okla.; and Northampton, Mass.

The VA has provided no information regarding the impact to employees if the recommendation to close the dozen hospitals is approved by the AIR Commission.

Recommended closures of hospitals in the Sun Belt, such as the one in Bonham, run counter to demographic shifts that show veterans leaving large cities in the frigid northeast for warmer climates in rural settings.

The Bonham VA hospital serves veterans from several counties in Texas and Oklahoma. Many aging veterans say they prefer coming to Bonham in order to prevent the dangerous drive to facilities in the metroplex.

North Texas e-News has been trying to get details from VA North Texas Health Care System regarding the recommended hospital closures, but has received no information.

Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center in Bonham, Texas