HD14 - Feasibility Study for a Second Veterans Care Facility in the Commonwealth


Executive Summary:
This Study examines the preliminary feasibility for a second Veterans' Care Center in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The feasibility is determined by addressing four distinct evaluations in the following order of priority:

I. Determining the basic need for a new Veterans' Care Center in view of the composition of the entire Virginia veteran population;

2. Determining the preferred general location for a new Center based upon demographics, age, income and other considerations;

3. Analyzing available sites from an engineering standpoint; and

4. Providing Recommendations in regard to location and size

This study determines that there is not only a clearly justified need for a new center at the present time, but that consideration should also be given to long term planning for one or more additional new Virginia Veterans' Care Centers. This is due to the age and concentration of Veterans within the Commonwealth.

Demographic analysis further indicates that the three metropolitan areas of Hampton Roads, .Northern Virginia and Richmond are the best candidates to serve as the geographic centers for new Veterans' Care Centers. Additional evaluations involving factors of age, income levels and availability of other facilities indicate that the Richmond Metropolitan Area has the most pressing need.

Additionally, the Department of Veterans' Affairs identified four sites that are available either from the inventory of state properties or as sites that would be donated to the Commonwealth for use as a new Veterans' Care Center. Two of these sites were eliminated due to significant cost, access or legal implications involving their development. The remaining two sites, located in Louisa County and the City of Richmond, are favorable for development. The site in Richmond, however, has distinct advantages in terms of cost of development, regional access and direct adjacency to the federally-operated (United States Department of Veterans Affairs) Hunter Holmes McGuire Medical Center.

In view, of the numerous factors considered, it is concluded that the site of the McGuire Medical Center in Richmond is the optimum location for the next Virginia Veterans' Care Center. Such a new Center should have a capacity of 240 beds. Further study is recommended to determine the precise programmatic and cost requirements for a new facility. The need for more than one new Center should be considered in long range planning.