VA Secretary Approves Massive Construction Plan 5/10/2004
In an effort to match its facilities to the current needs of veterans, the Dept. of Veterans Affairs has approved a plan that proposes more than $5 billion in construction and renovation over the next several years, while reducing facilities space elsewhere that it feels is unneeded. VA Secretary Anthony J. Principi, who announced the plan's approval on May 7, said that the department "now stands ready to bring greater access to quality care closer to where most veterans live."
The plan includes construction of new medical centers in Orlando and Las Vegas, four new facilities for spinal cord injuries and two centers for rehabilitation of blind patients. Following the trend in health care toward outpatient care, the VA plan also includes setting up 156 new community health clinics.