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Saturday, June 4, 2011

Pierluisi Obtains Over $100 Million for the San Juan Veterans Hospital

Appropriation represents 15% of all major construction funding to be allocated by the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2012

WASHINGTON, DC- The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to approve a $108 million appropriation for the completion of the third and fourth phases of a large-scale renovation of the San Juan Veterans Affairs Medical Center, announced Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi.

This important appropriation represents 15% of the total funds to be appropriated by Congress for major construction projects by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Fiscal Year 2012. Approximately $176 million has already been appropriated for phases one and two of the four-phase renovation of the veterans hospital, which includes a new administrative building and new bed tower.

This appropriation will allow for an expansion of the emergency room, namely the addition of beds in its chest pain center, as well the construction of an integrated waste management center, which will manage hazardous waste, biomedical waste, solid waste, and recycling at the Medical Center. 

“Since I came to Washington, one of my primary goals has been the renovation of the San Juan VA Medical Center. During my many meetings with them, our veterans always make it a point to remind me that improvements to the VA hospital is a top priority for them, and I have conveyed these concerns to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric Shinseki,” said Pierluisi.

“General Shinseki recognizes the valor of Puerto Rican men and women in uniform, many of whom served alongside him in Vietnam, and he is committed to addressing all the challenges that our veterans’ population faces. He believes that they deserve the same benefits as their fellow veterans in the states, especially when it comes to health care. I am pleased that this appropriation honors that commitment,” added the Resident Commissioner.

The third phase of the project that will be funded by this new appropriation consists of the demolition of a large portion of the old hospital tower and the renovation of 222,000 square feet of the hospital to provide seismic bracing and asbestos abatement. This phase is expected to be completed by October 2015.

The fourth and final phase, which is projected to be completed by November 2015, will include the construction of a new 1,500-space parking garage, which has been a longstanding request of the Island’s veterans. The garage will include a pedestrian bridge connecting the garage to the hospital.

"We have put considerable pressure on the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that our veterans have a high-quality facility where they can receive excellent medical care. No one who served in uniform defending our nation and its fundamental freedoms should have to worry about the quality or availability of medical care. I thank President Obama for including this important appropriation in the VA budget," said Pierluisi.