[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 82 (Thursday, June 5, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1156]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF A BILL TO AUTHORIZE CERTAIN MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY 
            PROJECTS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

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                            HON. LANE EVANS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 5, 2003

  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing a bill with my 
friend, the chairman of the Veterans Affairs Health Subcommittee, Rob 
Simmons. This bill will authorize several desperately needed major 
medical construction projects in Chicago, IL; San Diego, CA; Las Vegas, 
NV; and West Haven, CT. I urge all of my colleagues to support this 
bill to jump start the stalled major medical construction endeavor in 
the Department of Veterans Affairs.
  My bill would honor the commitment the Department of Veterans Affairs 
made to build a new bed tower at the West Side division of VA Chicago. 
While Secretary Anthony Principi has decided to move forward with the 
closure of inpatient services at the Lakeside division, he has not 
asked for an appropriation for the new construction project at West 
Side. Instead, the funding for this project--$98.5 million--is supposed 
to come from an enhanced use lease agreement whose value some experts 
claim has been greatly overestimated. I am not willing to make such a 
gamble on veterans' access to a functional medical center in the 
Chicago area.
  The West Side facility is a 50-year old facility ill-suited to 
respond to the demands of a modern health care delivery system, even 
without the additional workload anticipated from the integration with 
Lakeside scheduled for early August. VA Chicago is working to 
accommodate its inpatients in a facility that has inadequate intensive 
care units, inpatient units, and surgical suites. Once the new facility 
is operational, the existing facility will also have to undergo 
significant renovations to improve the emergency department, laboratory 
and radiological services, and food and nutritional areas.
  Because of the importance and the urgency of this project, my 
legislation would prohibit VA Chicago from disposing, in any manner, of 
the Lakeside division without first entering into a contract for the 
construction of the new bed tower promised to Chicago area veterans.
  The bill would also fund a project to replace the existing ambulatory 
care center in Las Vegas, NV. As my good friend, Shelley Berkley often 
reminds the Committee, Las Vegas has the fastest growing populations in 
the country and its veteran enrollees are not expected to peak until 
2012. Veterans' use of services is expected to remain higher than it is 
currently throughout the 20-year timeframe studied for VA's Capital 
Assets Realignment for Enhanced Services project.
  Unfortunately, in constructing a new ambulatory care clinic there in 
1997, VA seems to have fallen prey to a contractor whose work was 
seriously substandard. An independent assessment by John A. Martin and 
Associates yielded an opinion that the clinic was ``unsafe for 
continued occupancy.'' Because of the contractor's repeated failure to 
address serious structural deficiencies in the building, VA is now 
forced to abandon it. As an interim measure, VA is sending its patients 
to 10 different ambulatory care clinics around the city. This 
inefficient delivery system is forcing VA to add 80 full-time employees 
with significant new operational costs. My bill would request $97.3 
million to build a new centralized facility that would also include 
space for a new regional office for the Veterans Benefits 
Administration.
  In FY 2002, VA listed seismic corrections at the San Diego VA Medical 
Center as one of its highest construction priorities. Later, I am told, 
cost considerations--not any change in the assessment of need--yielded 
a lower priority for the project. I am still convinced that there is a 
great risk to VA patients and staff at the site and my bill would 
authorize $48.6 million to address the needs at the facility.
  West Haven VA Medical Center is in serious need of major renovations 
to its inpatient wards and research facilities. For many years, the 
inpatient ward renovations have been a high priority for VA 
construction, but resources have not allowed the project to move 
forward. I am requesting $50 million for this project and to renovate 
the research facilities.
  Finally, Charlotte, NC, is home to one of the largest populations in 
the country without a significant VA health care system presence. The 
project requested in this bill would allow VA to greatly expand its 
current workload in a clinic in the downtown area and enroll veterans 
who are now unable to receive care. I have included $3 million for the 
cost of the lease.
  All of these projects merit our immediate attention and approval by 
all Members. I urge your favorable consideration.

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