VA Plans Modernization, Continued Inpatient Care at Montgomery

July 13, 2006

WASHINGTON – Veterans in the Montgomery area will continue to receive a wide range of medical services from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as Department officials put together plans to modernize the facility, the Honorable R. James Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, announced today.

“Veterans and their families can rest assured that VA’s Montgomery facility will continue its current mission and maintain world-class inpatient services,” Nicholson said. “They will also benefit from a major modernization that maintains the high quality of care they receive from VA.”

The secretary’s announcement came after he reviewed the results of a study to determine whether the Montgomery campus should continue inpatient services and the recommendations of a local advisory panel.  The secretary concluded that the Montgomery campus shall continue operating under its current mission and provide inpatient care.

The Montgomery campus is a key component of VA’s integrated Alabama health care system, which along with the Tuskeegee campus, the Birmingham medical center and the Tuscaloosa medical center, provides world-class care to veterans.

VA will modernize the facility as part of its ongoing planning process that will include continued partnership with Maxwell Air Force Base to fully use all federal health care resources available to serve Alabama veterans.

“I want to thank the local advisory panel and the many leaders for their helpful input, including the Washington congressional delegation, veterans groups, state and local leaders, other stakeholders and VA employees,” Nicholson added.

Nicholson cited the devastation caused last year by hurricanes Katrina and Rita as demonstrating the need for VA to maintain “critical inpatient surge capability” in the event of natural disasters.

Built in 1939 and expanded with renovations in 1993, the Montgomery facility merged administratively with VA's Tuskegee medical center in 1997.  VA’s Montgomery facility is situated on 50 acres and includes 18 buildings.

The Montgomery decision was made after a study was completed that has been in progress since 2004 to upgrade health care facilities across the country that serve veterans.

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