WASHINGTON – To provide greater patient comfort, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded a contract for nearly $8.4 million to renovate wards at the Durham, N.C., VA Medical Center.
"This contract honors our commitment to provide world-class health care for North Carolina’s men and women who served in uniform," said Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Gordon H. Mansfield. “The renovation project will modernize 1950s-vintage wards to state-of-the-art standards in appearance, privacy and access.”
The contract was awarded to Totolo/KingJoint Venture, of Cordova, Tenn., a disabled veteran-owned small business. The contract provides $7,969,000 for construction and $404,350 for asbestos removal.
The project involves demolition and reconstruction of approximately 30,700 square feet on three wards. It will create larger patient rooms, private bathrooms for women patients and more visibility for the nursing staff. Work is expected to be finished in 2009.
Last year, VA spent more than $2.2 billion in North Carolina for the state’s 749,000 veterans. VA operates major medical centers in Asheville, Durham, Fayetteville and Salisbury, plus seven outpatient clinics, four nursing homes and five Vet Centers.
