Contact: Rob Ostrander 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Friday, May 7, 2004

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kit Bond today praised the new VA plan to modernize America's veteran health care system, saying it will improve veterans' access to health-care facilities in Missouri and nationwide.

"With these changes, millions of additional veterans will be served under the CARES plan," said Bond, Chairman of the VA-HUD subcommittee who, in the 1990's, demanded the VA overhaul its system to better meet the needs of veterans. "This plan is about increasing access for veterans, modernizing the VA health care system for the 21st Century and making sure money is spent on veteran health-care not empty buildings."

Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi today announced the details of the VA CARES (Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Service) plan after a three-year review of the VA health care system.

The CARES recommendations include the creation of 156 new "high priority" community-based outpatient clinics, including three new clinics in Missouri in Branson, Jefferson City and Sullivan, by the year 2012. In addition, Bond said the CARES plan calls for a new enhanced-use lease parking structure at the John Cochran St. Louis VAMC, replacement of the operating room suite at Columbia VAMC, the acquisition of the Kaiser Building in Kansas City to expand capacity at the KC VAMC and the retention of the Poplar Bluff VAMC.

Bond said the CARES plan provides a coherent, comprehensive national strategy to modernize the VA's medical infrastructure for years to come, with over 100 major construction projects in 37 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, including new hospitals in Las Vegas, Orlando and Denver.

Bond said CARES also seeks to eliminate wasteful spending. In 1999, the GAO found that the VA was wasting $1 million a day on unneeded or underutilized spaces. Under CARES, vacant space will be cut by 42 percent, allowing the VA to redirect these funds to patient care.

The plan calls for an investment of $6 billion over the next 6 years. If Congress approves the FY 2005 budget request, the VA will have $1 billion to spend in 2004 and 2005 on renovating and modernizing the VA health care system. Earlier this year, Bond successfully fought to pass an amendment to the budget resolution to increase funding for veteran medical care by $1.2 billion.