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August 7, 2009 – After meeting Thursday with Veteran Administration Secretary Eric Shinseki, Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson said today he’s confident that significant progress will be made to address the Omaha VA Medical Center’s infrastructure problems to ensure that veterans receive proper care.
“I commend Secretary Shinseki for agreeing with me that the Omaha VA facility’s aging condition is a serious concern and warrants action,” Senator Nelson said. “We will continue working together for Omaha area veterans and I am optimistic that substantial progress will be made to address the deficiencies at the hospital. The secretary and I know well that our veterans deserve the highest quality care because they have done so much to serve our nation and preserve America’s freedoms.”
Nelson’s comments came after he and the secretary met in Nelson’s Washington office to discuss the Omaha VA hospital.
The 57-year-old Omaha VA facility faces a number of infrastructure challenges. Local VA officials in Omaha have sought funding for a major overhaul or replacement of the building.
Nelson has been working intensively for more than a year on addressing the facilities needs at the Omaha VA hospital.
Some of Nelson’s efforts concerning the Omaha VA hospital include:
March 12th, 2008 – Nelson and Congressman Lee Terry met with VA facilities personnel to discuss the Omaha VA Medical Center
April 8th, 2008 – Nelson invited former VA Secretary, James Peake, to visit the Omaha VA Medical Center
April 10th, 2008 – Nelson had a personal follow-up with Secretary Peake to discuss the Omaha VA Medical Center
June 9th, 2008 – Nelson hosted Secretary Peake, Rep. Lee Terry, Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey, leaders from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Creighton Medical Center and key Omaha business partners to discuss the Omaha VA Medical Center
July 15th, 2008 – Nelson had a personal follow-up with Secretary Peake to discuss conducting a feasibility study on the Omaha VA Medical Center
August 25th, 2008 – Nelson announced a feasibility study commissioned by the VA to review conditions at the Omaha VA Medical Center
April 22nd, 2008 – Nelson met with Secretary Shinseki to discuss Omaha VA
June 11th, 2009 – Senator Nelson attended the Military Construction-VA Appropriations Committee hearing to discuss the Omaha VA facility with Secretary Shinseki
June 12th, 2009 - Nelson had a personal follow-up with Secretary Shinseki who committed to deploy his Chief of Staff to Omaha to survey the Medical Center
The VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System serves more than 172,500 veterans in Nebraska, western Iowa and sections of Kansas and Missouri. The Omaha VA Medical Center offers both inpatient and outpatient primary and specialty care services.
The Omaha VA provides inpatient, medical, surgical, and psychiatric care in addition to its ambulatory care services and clinical research programs. OVAMC has dual affiliations with the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Creighton University. The facility is authorized for 100 acute beds and 18 Psychiatric Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (PRRTP) beds.
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