Washington, DC (May 21, 2008) - Congressman Jeff Miller (R-FL-01) applauded the passage of H.R. 5856, a bill to authorize major medical facility projects and major medical facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2009. This bill includes a provision, inserted by Miller, which requires the Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs to “carry out a major medical facility project to construct a new medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Okaloosa County, Florida, in an amount not to exceed $54,475,000.” The bill passed the House today 416-0.
“I am extremely pleased that the House has made this important legislation a priority and passed it,” Miller stated. “This bill is the next step in providing full service inpatient care for veterans in Northwest Florida. This facility will make it exceedingly easier for those who served our nation to get the healthcare they have been promised by the government.”
The proposed site of the VA inpatient facility is located adjacent to the current Eglin Hospital. The first district of Florida contains both the highest veteran population and the highest military retiree population of any congressional district in the nation. Currently, many of these veterans and military retirees have to drive to Mississippi to receive inpatient care. The inclusion of this provision in the final bill will force the VA to address the issue of providing timely access to inpatient healthcare for the largest veteran population with co-sharing of resources with the Eglin facility.
“Inpatient medical care has been one of the biggest concerns of veterans in the area,” said Miller. “Bringing a VA facility that provides inpatient care to District 1 is something I have fought for since I first came to Washington. The passage of this legislation is a tremendous milestone for veterans and retired military in Northwest Florida.”
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