Port asks for delay on VA hospital decision
By VICKI HILLHOUSE of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
Walla Walla officials have asked the Department of Veterans Affairs to postpone its decision on changes at the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
In a recent letter to VA Secretary Anthony Principi, officials with the Port, city and county of Walla Walla ask that the VA work with the community on the future of the medical facility.
``We envision undertaking a joint master plan to develop a forward-looking strategy for the 84-acre site and its 28 buildings, and a plan for continuing to deliver and expand the provision of health care services for veterans located in our region,'' the letter said.
The correspondence was signed by Mayor Gilbert Lugo, Walla Walla County Commissioner Greg Tompkins and Port Executive Director Jim Kuntz.
Principi was expected to review recommendations this week from the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services, or CARES, Commission.
The commission recommends closing the local VA hospital and, where appropriate, contracting for acute inpatient medicine and psychiatry care and nursing home care. Outpatient services would be maintained and moved off the campus after inpatient services are relocated.
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