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IN RECOGNITION OF THE GRAND OPENING OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMUNITY-BASED OUTPATIENT CLINIC IN OKALOOSA COUNTY, FLORIDA
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| April 24th, 2008 |
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Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, it is a great honor for me to rise today to recognize the grand opening on April 25, 2008, of the Department of Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Okaloosa County, located in the First Congressional District in Northwest Florida.
This momentous occasion has been a long time coming for the ever-growing veterans' population along Florida's Emerald Coast. With the highest veterans' population of any congressional district in the Nation, many of the residents of Okaloosa County and the immediate areas have had to drive significant distances for some of the most basic outpatient care from the VA. This area was identified years ago as an underserved area for VA healthcare, and was marked as a priority location for future VA construction. Now completed and ready to receive patients, this CBOC will alleviate travel time and provide efficient access to VA healthcare for those veterans.
Beautiful beaches, warm weather, and friendly neighbors encourage many to call the Florida panhandle ``home.' With five military installations in my district alone it is little wonder that active and retired military and nearly 110,000 veterans make up a tremendous portion of my constituency. While many already saw the need for improved access to VA care, it took a coordinated effort from many interested parties to make this event a reality. There was no doubt that this facility is what our area's veterans needed and deserved.
A co-sharing agreement between VA and the Department of Defense has been a huge factor in bringing about this moment. By using land on Eglin Air Force base, in close proximity to the base hospital, veterans using the VA clinic have access to various DoD resources and active servicemembers stationed there have access to part of the clinic's specialty care. In addition, the use of DoD land ensures that VA does not have to deal with finding and acquiring land, resulting in the best deal for taxpayers and veterans alike.
Madam Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I would like to recognize the efforts of all who worked toward bringing this important facility to Okaloosa County, Florida. We have an eternal debt of gratitude to our servicemen and women, and this much-needed VA clinic is one way that we can begin to say thank you for ensuring that the liberty continues to shine a bright light over our country.
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