FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18, 2004

Contact: Ben Allen (202) 225-4361

Serrano Bill Honoring

James

Peters

Passes

House, Sent to President

 

November 18, 2004,
Washington, DC
—Yesterday, the House passed a bill to rename the Bronx Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VA
MC
) after veterans health care leader James J. Peters.  The bill was introduced in the House by Congressman José E. Serrano (D-Bronx) in July 2003.  Companion legislation introduced by Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) in early 2004 passed in the Senate in October. 

 

 

“What a wonderful thing it is to be able to honor the legacy of James Peters, a courageous fighter for America’s veterans and victims of spinal cord injuries,” said Congressman Serrano.  “James Peters helped to revitalize the Bronx VA
MC
, turning it into the premier veterans’ medical center for spinal cord injury patients in the country.  I’m proud to have Senator Clinton joining me in leading the Congress to celebrate his legacy.”

 

 

Mr. Peters, the former Director of the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association, passed away on September 6, 2002.  Through the Serrano/Clinton bill, the Congress salutes his accomplishments and advocacy on behalf of veterans, especially his effort to improve the quality of care for spinal cord injury patients.  Mr. Peters not only worked tirelessly to improve the spinal cord injury ward at the Bronx VA
MC
, but also promoted partnerships with medical researchers to develop cutting-edge treatments for spinal cord injury patients. 

 

 

Born in 1945 in
Brooklyn, New York
, Peters attended Mount Assumption Institute in Plattsburg, New York, Western New England College in Springfield, Massachusetts, and the United States Army Engineering College at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, where as a Second Lieutenant, Civil Engineer, he sustained a spinal cord injury in 1967.  
 
In September 1969, Peters began his life-long career at the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association (EPVA) as deputy executive director.  Peters’ work drawing attention to the deplorable conditions facing paralyzed veterans at the old

Bronx

Veterans

Administration

Hospital

helped to force the VA to build a new Bronx Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VA
MC
) and to establish a stand-alone national Spinal Cord Injury Service at the VA.
 
As he rose through the leadership of the EPVA, Peters pushed the Association to join with local institutions, including the

Mount Sinai

Medical

Center

and the

New York

Medical

College

, to provide advanced methods of treatment to paralyzed veterans in the
New York
metropolitan area.  

 

Peters’ leadership extended beyond his work with the EPVA.  He was appointed by President Carter and reappointed by President Reagan to a national Select Commission on Spinal Cord Injury (SCI).  He served as special consultant to several chief medical directors in the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.  Under VA Secretary Jesse Brown, Peters was appointed to a Task Force for Improved SCI Care.  He also served on the Board of Directors of the
Alliance
for Aging Research.  In
New York
, Peters was a member of the State Disability Prevention Council and the State Spinal Cord Injury Research Commission.
 
James Peters was elected vice president of the Paralyzed Veterans of America each year for 23 consecutive years, between 1977 and 2000.

 

 

To celebrate his life of work and commitment, Congress decided to name the Bronx VA Medical Center he loved so much after him. 

 

 

“It gives me great pleasure to be able to honor James Peters in this way,” said Serrano.  “He is a man who devoted himself to public service and to veterans in particular.  His life is an inspiration to all of us, particularly those with difficult injuries—here was a man who didn’t let his body’s limitations prevent him from thinking about and doing great things.  Hundreds of thousands of veterans’ and spinal cord injury victims’ lives have been improved because of James Peters’ work, and we will continue to make sure his legacy lives on.”

 

 

# # #

 

 

Congressman Serrano has represented the
Bronx
in Congress since 1990.  He is the only Member of Congress from New York City on the House Appropriations Committee, and serves as the ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee that funds the Commerce, Justice, and State Departments, as well as the Judiciary.