[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6993]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   IN RECOGNITION OF THE GRAND OPENING OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
 AFFAIRS COMMUNITY-BASED OUTPATIENT CLINIC IN OKALOOSA COUNTY, FLORIDA

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                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 24, 2008

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, it is a great honor for me to 
rise today to recognize the grand opening on April 25, 2008, of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) 
in Okaloosa County, located in the First Congressional District in 
Northwest Florida.
  This momentous occasion has been a long time coming for the ever-
growing veterans' population along Florida's Emerald Coast. With the 
highest veterans' population of any congressional district in the 
Nation, many of the residents of Okaloosa County and the immediate 
areas have had to drive significant distances for some of the most 
basic outpatient care from the VA. This area was identified years ago 
as an underserved area for VA healthcare, and was marked as a priority 
location for future VA construction. Now completed and ready to receive 
patients, this CBOC will alleviate travel time and provide efficient 
access to VA healthcare for those veterans.
  Beautiful beaches, warm weather, and friendly neighbors encourage 
many to call the Florida panhandle ``home.'' With five military 
installations in my district alone it is little wonder that active and 
retired military and nearly 110,000 veterans make up a tremendous 
portion of my constituency. While many already saw the need for 
improved access to VA care, it took a coordinated effort from many 
interested parties to make this event a reality. There was no doubt 
that this facility is what our area's veterans needed and deserved.
  A co-sharing agreement between VA and the Department of Defense has 
been a huge factor in bringing about this moment. By using land on 
Eglin Air Force base, in close proximity to the base hospital, veterans 
using the VA clinic have access to various DoD resources and active 
servicemembers stationed there have access to part of the clinic's 
specialty care. In addition, the use of DoD land ensures that VA does 
not have to deal with finding and acquiring land, resulting in the best 
deal for taxpayers and veterans alike.
  Madam Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I would like 
to recognize the efforts of all who worked toward bringing this 
important facility to Okaloosa County, Florida. We have an eternal debt 
of gratitude to our servicemen and women, and this much-needed VA 
clinic is one way that we can begin to say thank you for ensuring that 
the liberty continues to shine a bright light over our country.

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