Expands Homeless Program, Building Renovation, Inpatient Care
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (GLA) posted the Master Plan for the West Los Angeles (WLA) campus, which includes plans to expand the homeless program by renovating buildings on the historic campus.
“Secretary Shinseki is committed to ending Veteran homelessness in Los Angeles and throughout the country by 2015. Though much work remains, VA has made significant progress to reduce homelessness over the past two years under his leadership,” said GLA Director Donna M. Beiter, RN, MSN. “This Master Plan builds on VA’s progress to end Veteran homelessness and ensures that land use at West Los Angeles will continue to put the needs of Veterans first – now and into the future. The West Los Angeles campus is a sacred and peaceful place for Veterans to heal, and VA is committed to ensuring Veterans and their families receive the care and benefits they have earned.”
The WLA Master Plan, introduced for public comment in January 2011, outlines potential modernization projects that provide direct benefit for Veterans through VA programs and services on the WLA campus. The plan calls for an expansion of GLA’s homeless program through the renovation of Buildings 205, 208, and 209. This renovation will create additional opportunities for long-term therapeutic and supportive homeless programs at the WLA campus focusing on the most chronically homeless disabled Veterans. Other projects under consideration as funds become available include: constructing a new inpatient tower (clinical expansion), centralizing research activities and locating them adjacent to the clinical area, expanding the Los Angeles National Cemetery onto the WLA campus and collocating the VA regional office onto WLA grounds, offering Veterans comprehensive services in one location.
Under the Master Plan, as each existing land use agreement expires, renewal will be determined based upon the priorities and guiding principles established in the Master Plan. This plan ensures that all future proposed land use will be evaluated based on three critical priorities: direct benefit to Veterans, fulfillment of VA’s mission, and compatibility with the community.
The Master Plan will be available for public viewing Wednesday at www.losangeles.va.gov.
To view the Final Notice available Wednesday visit: www.federalregister.gov/learn/public-inspection-desk
The Master Plan will be published in the Federal Register Thursday at
http://www.ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2011-15739_PI.pdf
If you have any questions or concerns please contact the VA GLA Public Affairs Office at (310) 268-3340.
Fact Sheet
Veterans Programs Enhancement Act of 1998 (VPEA) Master Plan – Final Ruling
On January 19, 2011, The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a notice in the Federal Register inviting public comment on the Draft Master Plan for the West Los Angeles (WLA) Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the largest facility within VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (GLA). After review of the comments, VA is presenting the final Master Plan to Veterans, stakeholders, and the public.
This Master Plan supports the Secretary of Veterans Affairs’ goal to end homelessness among Veterans by 2015 and expand potential modernization projects that are available for therapeutic and supportive housing for homeless Veterans. When completed, Buildings 205, 208, and 209 will add to the existing on-campus housing currently available to Veterans through our partnerships with the non-profit organizations New Directions, Inc. and The Salvation Army. In addition to these on-campus services, VA will continue to provide off-campus housing opportunities for Veterans facing homelessness through HUD-VA Supported Housing and VA Grant and Per Diem programs in the community.
The WLA Master Plan incorporates the work of previous planning studies and sets forth priorities and guiding principles that will serve as tools to address future development for the unplanned portions of the campus. The Plan is based on the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services process and the new Strategic Capital Investment Planning process, a VA-wide planning tool for facilities and infrastructure. This Plan also satisfies the legislative mandate of the Veterans Programs Enhancement Act of 1998, which required “…the development of a master plan for the use of the lands…over the next 25 years and over the next 50 years.”
Outlined in the Plan are potential modernization projects that provide direct benefit for Veterans through VA programs and services at the WLA campus. Projects under consideration as funds become available include:
- Constructing a new inpatient tower (clinical expansion)
- Centralizing the research activities and locating them adjacent to the clinical area
- Collocating the VA Regional Office staff onto WLA grounds
- Expanding the Los Angeles National Cemetery onto the campus
The above initiatives ensure that VA is offering Veterans comprehensive services in one location.
The Master Plan supports the goal of creating a therapeutic and Patient-Centered Care environment at WLA. Under the Master Plan, GLA will maintain current land use agreements and lease arrangements. As each agreement expires, renewal will be based upon priorities and guiding principles as established in the Master Plan. These priorities include direct benefit for Veterans, fulfillment of VA’s mission, and compatibility with the community. All future land use agreements will contain language that allows for VA to reclaim any shared property if VA determines it necessary to support Veterans programs.
The Master Plan will be available for public viewing Wednesday at www.losangeles.va.gov.
To view the Final Notice available Wednesday visit: www.federalregister.gov/learn/public-inspection-desk
CONTACT:
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Office of Public Affairs
310-268-3340
www.losangeles.va.gov
KEYWORDS: United States North America California
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