United States Department of Veterans Affairs
United States Department of Veterans Affairs

CARES Business Plan Studies

CARES image: Go to CARES site

The Department of Veterans Affairs
CARES Business Plan Studies

The Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) is a system-wide process to prepare the Veterans Administration (VA) for meeting the current and future health care needs of veterans in modern health care facilities. CARES addresses the appropriate clinical role of small facilities, vacant space, the potential for enhanced use leases and the consolidation of services and campuses. It is the most comprehensive analysis of VA’s health care infrastructure that has ever been conducted.

Access specifically is addressed through the identification of areas that fall below drive time guidelines and where actions to improve access are planned. Upon conclusion of the 1998 pilot CARES was initiated system wide in 2002. In May 2004 the VA issued a Decision Document which will serve as VA’s compass for capital planning decisions. Annual updates with new forecasts of future demand have been incorporated in VA’s strategic planning process.

The May 2004 Decision Document identified 18 sites for additional analysis and studies. These studies will provide recommendations to VA regarding the best approach to provide current and future veterans with equal or better healthcare than is currently provided, while maximizing any potential reuse or redevelopment of all or portions of the property.

This website provides the public with information and updates for these 18 studies, and allows interested parties to submit feedback to VA about the CARES Business Plan Studies.