California - The U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs has narrowed down the list of potential sites for a new, centrally-located regional healthcare facility in San Joaquin County to serve veterans in surrounding counties, including here in Amador. The new facility would be ideally located to suit Amador County, which has one of the highest populations of veterans in California. American Legion Post 108, located in Sutter Creek, is the third largest of its kind in the state. Amador County Supervisors and many local veterans are endorsing the idea of a nearby hospital with easy freeway access for tens of thousands of regional veterans. The VA sent out notifications last week rejecting some proposals for hospital locations while keeping others, a move that has upset backers of rejected sites who say the decision was hasty. Two proposals still on the table are a 20-acre plot near St. Joseph’s Medical Center owned by the Grupe Commercial Company and 56-acres owned by Arnaiz Development Company close to Interstate 5. But San Joaquin County Veterans Services Officer Ron Green said the VA made a “cavalier decision” when it turned down a county-government backed facility next to San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp. The proposed site was at the center of the year-long push to bring a hospital to the county. San Joaquin Supervisor Leroy Ornellas wrote in a guest commentary to the Manteca Bulletin that he and fellow supervisors “were astonished at this revelation.” He said the location passed environmental reports for a healthcare facility. The board offered the land at $1 a year. “The VA could have broken ground within weeks, putting people to work and providing a much needed punch to our local economy,” he said. The VA said site selection is part of a long, data-driven process based on population, partnerships, transportation, land costs and the availability of hospital staff. If approved, the new facility location is expected to be open by 2015. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Wednesday, 10 February 2010 01:01
VA Narrows Down Locations for New Regional Veteran's Facility
Written by Tom-
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California - The U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs has narrowed down the list of potential sites for a new, centrally-located regional healthcare facility in San Joaquin County to serve veterans in surrounding counties, including here in Amador. The new facility would be ideally located to suit Amador County, which has one of the highest populations of veterans in California. American Legion Post 108, located in Sutter Creek, is the third largest of its kind in the state. Amador County Supervisors and many local veterans are endorsing the idea of a nearby hospital with easy freeway access for tens of thousands of regional veterans. The VA sent out notifications last week rejecting some proposals for hospital locations while keeping others, a move that has upset backers of rejected sites who say the decision was hasty. Two proposals still on the table are a 20-acre plot near St. Joseph’s Medical Center owned by the Grupe Commercial Company and 56-acres owned by Arnaiz Development Company close to Interstate 5. But San Joaquin County Veterans Services Officer Ron Green said the VA made a “cavalier decision” when it turned down a county-government backed facility next to San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp. The proposed site was at the center of the year-long push to bring a hospital to the county. San Joaquin Supervisor Leroy Ornellas wrote in a guest commentary to the Manteca Bulletin that he and fellow supervisors “were astonished at this revelation.” He said the location passed environmental reports for a healthcare facility. The board offered the land at $1 a year. “The VA could have broken ground within weeks, putting people to work and providing a much needed punch to our local economy,” he said. The VA said site selection is part of a long, data-driven process based on population, partnerships, transportation, land costs and the availability of hospital staff. If approved, the new facility location is expected to be open by 2015. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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