Noteboom The Law Firm

VA Using Recovery Act Money to Improve Facilities

June 16, 2010 - Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric Shinseki made a trip to the Cleveland VA Medical Center (VAMC) 2 weeks ago. While he was in Cleveland, he was given a full report as to the projects that will be funded by the Recovery Act. The projects will aid all veterans in gaining more access to VA care and will help the VA upgrade their surgical wards.

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the medical center was granted $15.2 million to renovate and upgrade their health care services. The ARRA funding has allowed for the creation of 500 jobs in order to complete the construction at the VAMC. The projects and their costs break down as follows:

• Surgical areas at a cost of $8.3 million;
• Elevator lobby renovation at a cost of $2 million;
• Canteen improvements at a cost of $2.1 million;
• Hematology and oncology department improvements at a cost of $1.1 million;
• Patient care improvements at a cost of $1.3 million; and
• Energy conservation measures at a cost of $502,429.

The Act also provides the VA the ability to award construction contracts as it sees fit to its medical centers and cemeteries. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has given the VA a wide berth of options in how to spend the money they were allotted. Some VA medical centers will receive much more attention than others and some of the money will go to nationwide VA programs and incentives.