Document
Copyright & Fair-use Agreement
UNLV Special Collections provides copies of materials to facilitate private study, scholarship, or research. Material not in the public domain may be used according to fair use of copyrighted materials as defined by copyright law. Please cite us.
Please note that UNLV may not own the copyright to these materials and cannot provide permission to publish or distribute materials when UNLV is not the copyright holder. The user is solely responsible for determining the copyright status of materials and obtaining permission to use material from the copyright holder and for determining whether any permissions relating to any other rights are necessary for the intended use, and for obtaining all required permissions beyond that allowed by fair use.
Read more about our reproduction and use policy.
I agree.Information
Digital ID
Permalink
Transcription
United States of America Congressional Record PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 100th CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. Ii4 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 1988 So. 24 Senate CONSTRUCTION AT THE IOANNIS A. LOUGARIS VETERAN'S' ADMINISTRATION MEDICAL CENTER Mr. HECHT. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation which will provide the veterans of Nevada with the first-rate health care they deserve. Specifically, my legislation will help to rebuild and modernize the loarmis Lougaris Veterans' Administration Medical Center in Reno, NV. Currently, this is the only VA hospital located in Nevada, so you can see how important it is to have a facility in good condition. Quite frankly, Mr. President, the Reno VA Hospital is badly in need of repair. It was designed before World War II and constructed from 1945 to 1948. The building falls considerably below modern building standards. Central air-conditioning is nonexistent in patient rooms, which can be especially dangerous because of the extreme variation of temperature in Reno's high desert climate. The mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems in this building are 30 to 40 years old and nearly at the end of their useful lives. Even basic fire sprinklers and smoke evacuation systems do not exist in the main building. Mr. President, this hospital just isn't safe anymore for Nevada's veterans. And, yet, the need, Mr. President, for a modern state-of-the-art facility is growing as the number of veterans in the State increases. Nevada has one of the fastest growing veterans populations in the country. Because of the State's beautiful dry climate, many veterans are attracted to Nevada for retirement. In both Clark County and the remainder of the State, Nevada's veterans population increased by about 2,000 individuals a year. In fact, Mr. President, considering the small population of our State, the percentage of veterans in Nevada compared to the rest of the population is one of the highest in the country. Not only is the Reno VA Medical Center the only acute care facility in the State, but it also draws patients from one of the largest geographical areas in the VA system. This hospital serves all veterans of Nevada except those in Clark County and those in counties which border Utah. In any given year, the hospital in Reno treats about 5,000 inpatients. It also serves veterans in California who are located in the eastern slope counties of the Sierra Nevadas. Mr. President, we have been sucess-ful in moving up the construction date for a joint Air Force/Veterans' Administration Hospital at Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas to 1990. Nevertheless, Nevada's veterans can't wait until 1990. They need top-flight health care now. This is why it is so crucial, Mr. President, that this project get under way now. For the veterans who have given so much to protect this country and the world, my legislation to rebuild and modernize the Reno VA Medical Center must be passed by this Congress.