Posted on Sep 10, 2015
Do you agree with Sec McDonald on his idea of closing outdated and unused facilities to save the VA money?
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Questions for study -
What percent of the VA budget is $25 million?
Did you know they added 1,100 physicians, 3,500 nurses and increased office hours at some facilities by 12 percent in just the last year?
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The Veterans Affairs Department could save $25 million a year if it closed outdated and unused facilities, the VA's leader said Wednesday.
As part of an ongoing lobbying effort to gain more budget flexibility, VA Secretary Robert McDonald has been pressing Congress for permission to dispose of 10 million square feet of space that the department doesn’t use or thinks it does not need.
At a military and family forum in Washington, D.C., McDonald asked veterans and military advocates to support the effort, which he said faces an uphill battle from lawmakers.
“We need Congress to get the courage to allow us to close these spaces so we can make better use of the money we have,” McDonald said.
The VA’s inventory includes hundreds of historic, aging or blighted buildings. Among those popular with veterans is the historic Battle Mountain Sanitarium in Hot Springs, South Dakota, a facility that once served Civil War veterans of the battles of Gettysburg and Antietam and is part of the VA Black Hills Health Care System.
But other buildings, like a former quartermaster’s office in Minneapolis, have been vacant for years and fallen into disrepair.
According to VA, it has 336 buildings that are vacant or less than half-occupied. The money it takes to manage these properties — $25 million — could hire 200 registered nurses or pay for nearly 150,000 primary care visits and more.
But proposing to close buildings is a tough sell.
"Members of Congress and others don’t like us to close things in their geographic regions,” McDonald said.
In a hearing earlier this year, Florida Rep. Corrine Brown, the senior Democrat on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, voiced the reticence felt by many lawmakers about shuttering VA facilities.
But she also expressed support for a concept similar to a base realignment and closure plan.
“We support closing some of the VA facilities ... just as long as you don't close any in Florida,” she joked. “That's kind of the mentality of the members of Congress. So as we work through it, we've got to keep in mind, it is a team effort.”
McDonald has pressed for more flexibility, not only to control VA real estate but also to shift money between programs, to cover a budget crunch related to increases in medical costs and disability claims as well to support new construction and hire more personnel.
In the past year, the VA has added 1,100 physicians, 3,500 nurses and increased office hours at some facilities by 12 percent, to include nights and weekends, according to the VA.
But the department needs resources to build additional capacity and ensure it will be prepared to care for Afghanistan and Iraq veterans in the future, McDonald said.
"VA is the canary in the coal mine," he said. "We see the problems with American medicine before the rest of the country because we are the largest integrated health care system in the country. We see the effects of the aging population before everyone else and need to get ahead of this now.”
http://www.militarytimes.com/story/veterans/2015/09/09/mcdonald-let-va-shed-real-estate/71959220/
What percent of the VA budget is $25 million?
Did you know they added 1,100 physicians, 3,500 nurses and increased office hours at some facilities by 12 percent in just the last year?
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The Veterans Affairs Department could save $25 million a year if it closed outdated and unused facilities, the VA's leader said Wednesday.
As part of an ongoing lobbying effort to gain more budget flexibility, VA Secretary Robert McDonald has been pressing Congress for permission to dispose of 10 million square feet of space that the department doesn’t use or thinks it does not need.
At a military and family forum in Washington, D.C., McDonald asked veterans and military advocates to support the effort, which he said faces an uphill battle from lawmakers.
“We need Congress to get the courage to allow us to close these spaces so we can make better use of the money we have,” McDonald said.
The VA’s inventory includes hundreds of historic, aging or blighted buildings. Among those popular with veterans is the historic Battle Mountain Sanitarium in Hot Springs, South Dakota, a facility that once served Civil War veterans of the battles of Gettysburg and Antietam and is part of the VA Black Hills Health Care System.
But other buildings, like a former quartermaster’s office in Minneapolis, have been vacant for years and fallen into disrepair.
According to VA, it has 336 buildings that are vacant or less than half-occupied. The money it takes to manage these properties — $25 million — could hire 200 registered nurses or pay for nearly 150,000 primary care visits and more.
But proposing to close buildings is a tough sell.
"Members of Congress and others don’t like us to close things in their geographic regions,” McDonald said.
In a hearing earlier this year, Florida Rep. Corrine Brown, the senior Democrat on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, voiced the reticence felt by many lawmakers about shuttering VA facilities.
But she also expressed support for a concept similar to a base realignment and closure plan.
“We support closing some of the VA facilities ... just as long as you don't close any in Florida,” she joked. “That's kind of the mentality of the members of Congress. So as we work through it, we've got to keep in mind, it is a team effort.”
McDonald has pressed for more flexibility, not only to control VA real estate but also to shift money between programs, to cover a budget crunch related to increases in medical costs and disability claims as well to support new construction and hire more personnel.
In the past year, the VA has added 1,100 physicians, 3,500 nurses and increased office hours at some facilities by 12 percent, to include nights and weekends, according to the VA.
But the department needs resources to build additional capacity and ensure it will be prepared to care for Afghanistan and Iraq veterans in the future, McDonald said.
"VA is the canary in the coal mine," he said. "We see the problems with American medicine before the rest of the country because we are the largest integrated health care system in the country. We see the effects of the aging population before everyone else and need to get ahead of this now.”
http://www.militarytimes.com/story/veterans/2015/09/09/mcdonald-let-va-shed-real-estate/71959220/
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Management
Waste
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 11
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SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S.
Instead of closing these facilities maybe they could be repaired and upgraded? If a large enough veteran population in those areas are in need of those facilities I would think my idea would make more sense.
Instead of closing these facilities maybe they could be repaired and upgraded? If a large enough veteran population in those areas are in need of those facilities I would think my idea would make more sense.
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CW3 Kevin Storm
Not worth it, Lead paint, asbestos, no longer stable, and falling down, don't meet the code, and will never meet current health facilities codes.
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PO1 John Miller
CW3 Kevin Storm
I can see that. What about tearing those unfit buildings down but rebuilding them? The property is already in place and I'm sure it would be cheaper to tear down and rebuild on already-owned land rather than having to purchase new land and everything that goes along with that.
I can see that. What about tearing those unfit buildings down but rebuilding them? The property is already in place and I'm sure it would be cheaper to tear down and rebuild on already-owned land rather than having to purchase new land and everything that goes along with that.
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CW3 Kevin Storm
The VA as a whole will often lease a building for our CBOC (Community Based Oupatient Clinics), as waiting for the approval takes years to buy and build. Often times it costs more to build over something, if you drop a building on a campus, you have to deal with upgrading everything else, and getting it all to current codes. It is a major hassle, I know as I am going through a multi year upgrade here at the facility I am working at. Not just for the employees, but for the vets, the contractors, and everyone else involved.
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Maintaining a vacant space that has fallen into disrepair is a waste of taxpayer's money! Of course they should be rid of that and other property like it. They should not, though, throw the baby out with the bathwater. I live in Maine and the Togus VA Hospital is the oldest VA structure in the country at pre-Civil War. That isn't reason to close it though. It is the only hospital in Maine, there isn't one in NH and the next one is in Boston, MA. Some veteran's in Maine have to drive as much as 12 hours to get to Togus and for many the cost of travel is a true hardship.
The VA needs to take a very close look at its facilities management for cost effectiveness and efficiency. Our hospital continues to grow and improve facilities which is a good thing yet staffing is in a constant state of flux which is for another thread.
A VA hospital with a golf course? Good for them if the money it brings is greater than the cost of maintenance and it can be used locally.
Congress is the problem here, much more than the VA. Admit it, too, we all get up in arms when we here any military or VA facility near us is going to close even if it served no purpose whatsoever. We never hear that it was only costing us money, we just hear from the politicians in power that he/she will not allow the other party to rob our community of this rich source of local economic growth and the politician who wants to be in power promises to go to Washington and stop the the other party from robbing us of our jobs for their political gain.
Wouldn't it be great if the VA could close useless buildings and keep the money to shift into the medical side? Unfortunately, Congress all too often seems to get nasty and punish agencies at budget time.
The VA needs to take a very close look at its facilities management for cost effectiveness and efficiency. Our hospital continues to grow and improve facilities which is a good thing yet staffing is in a constant state of flux which is for another thread.
A VA hospital with a golf course? Good for them if the money it brings is greater than the cost of maintenance and it can be used locally.
Congress is the problem here, much more than the VA. Admit it, too, we all get up in arms when we here any military or VA facility near us is going to close even if it served no purpose whatsoever. We never hear that it was only costing us money, we just hear from the politicians in power that he/she will not allow the other party to rob our community of this rich source of local economic growth and the politician who wants to be in power promises to go to Washington and stop the the other party from robbing us of our jobs for their political gain.
Wouldn't it be great if the VA could close useless buildings and keep the money to shift into the medical side? Unfortunately, Congress all too often seems to get nasty and punish agencies at budget time.
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Sgt Spencer Sikder
"Wouldn't it be great if the VA could close useless buildings and keep the money to shift into the medical side?" Unfortunately, SCPO Penny Douphinett, the two monies are in different pots. Medical Care Appropriation and Facilities, and never are the two to meet. To change that will be another Act of Congress and getting them to do anything, let alone anything right, will have to be after an election it appears.
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Sgt Spencer Sikder
CW3 Kevin Storm - We had one in Little Rock that was abandon and the VA still have to keep security at the facility as well as elevator service. When I was there it was about the 4th or 5th year that VA moved into their new facility. They couldn't off load it because of the asbestos and PCBs in the building, if I recall correctly. So, it would cost yet more money just to dispose of the property.
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SCPO Penny Douphinett
Sgt Spencer Sikder - I do understand about different pots of money and the government. This is in no way directed at you Sgt Sikder, but it is a convenient excuse to not put funds where needed the most. I'm sure they are like every other gov't office, including the military, with a "if we don't spend it all this year, they will give us less NEXT year". The government has been known to rob Peter to pay Paul (thinking of Social Security) yet it can't be done...
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Sgt Spencer Sikder
SCPO Penny Douphinett - No offense taken. I too agree that the appropriations act excuse is just that an excuse. Congress has the power, they need to exercise it.
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CW3 Kevin Storm
SES pay Scale Level 1 is $203,000 which sounds like a lot of money. Compare that to CEO of Kaiser Permente who earns $7.9 million in salary and another $5 million in annual bonus. keep in mind, the Sec of the VA oversees the largest health provider in the country, Student payments, COMP and Pen, Funerals, Cemeteries, Small Business Loans, Home Loans. His pay is chump change compared to a civilian CEO of equal position.
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