Central Florida Veterans Hospital

Despite best efforts by the VA to provide comprehensive health care services to aging veterans on a timely and convenient manner, veterans in the Central Florida region are faced with long wait times and inadequate access to VA medical resources.

For too long, veterans have been forced to travel to distant VA facilities as far as Tampa to receive specialized care and rehabilitation treatment services.  Eligible United States veterans and their loved ones suffering from critical health ailments should not be forced to wait or travel inordinate distances for medical services.  These services must be provided in facilities close to their residence.

One of the most important projects for our Central Florida Veterans is the progress being made on the new Lake Nona Orlando VA Medical Center. This past February, the Topping Ceremony was held to mark the final girder being set in place (photos).  This is an important milestone for the projected Fall 2012 opening of this 134-inpatient bed, 120-bed community living center and 60-bed residential rehabilitation medical center.  Additionally, a yet undetermined portion of the stimulus funding will be used to fund the construction of this facility.

The new VA medical center will be located in the area known as “Medical City”, surrounded by the new University of Central Florida Medical School, the Burnham Institute for Medical Research and Nemours Children’s Hospital.  With over 2,100 employees serving an estimated 113,000 veterans annually, the new Orlando VA Medical Center will set a new benchmark in veteran health care.  We are all eager to see this facility completed, and please know that I will continue to do all within my power to make sure this project remains on track.

Virtual Flyover of New Medical Center