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Congress of tfje Umteb States ?tart)ington, BC 20515 April 21, 2004 The Honorable James T. Walsh Chairman Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent Agencies Committee on Appropriations HI43 Capitol Building Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Alan Mollohan Ranking Member Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent Agencies Committee on Appropriations 1016 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Chairman Walsh and Ranking Member Mollohan, I am requesting your support for the inclusion of $250 million from the Veterans Administration's Construction account in the FY2005 Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies Appropriations bill for the construction of a new veterans hospital, out-patient clinic, and long-term care facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. In June of 2003, the Las Vegas Ambulatory Care Center was permanently evacuated due to structural deficiencies which created an unsafe environment for patients and staff. Currently, the veterans in the Las Vegas area are shuttled to and from ten different temporary clinics to meet their health care needs until a new hospital and out-patient clinic can be built. This situation places a tremendous strain on Clark County veterans. In addition, the closest long-term care facility in Nevada is thirty miles from Las Vegas, where the majority of the veterans in southern Nevada are treated. Traveling this distance has placed an additional burden on the veterans and their families. The Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) Commission recognized the unique needs of Clark County veterans and recommended that the VA provide a new hospital, multi-specialty clinic, and long-term care facility in the Las Vegas area. Clark County has one of the nation's fastest growing veterans populations in the country. The new hospital and out-patient clinic will meet the needs of veterans in the area by offering many services including primary care, women's health services, mental health treatment, dental care, eye care, in-house laboratory services, state-of-the-art pharmaceutical services, a prosthetics lab and audiology services. The new clinic will also contain a Veterans Benefits Administration Satellite Office and a Community-Based Outpatient Clinic to advance the concept of "one stop shopping" for veterans who live in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. Approximately 82% of the patients treated in the VA Southern Nevada Health Care System reside in Clark County. While most of the country is expected to experience a decrease in demand on the Veterans Health Care Network, Clark County is expected to experience an increase in the demand for health services. For example, the number of veterans enrolled in the California Veterans Health Care System is projected to decline by 17% from 2001 to 2022, while PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER Page 2 March 31, 2004 the number of veterans enrolled in the Nevada Health Care System is expected to increase by 18% from 2001 to 2022. The enrollment growth is projected to occur primarily in Clark County and the City of Las Vegas. The number of clinic visits is expected to increase from 198,608 in 1998 to 343,737 in 2022. The unmatched growth of veterans seeking health care services in Clark County necessitates an accessible, immediate and comprehensive health care facility for those who served our nation. It is my hope that you and the members of the committee will support the inclusion of $250 million in the Veterans Administration's Construction account for this desperately needed VA medical complex in Las Vegas. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely,