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Ensign pushes VA to change hospital criteria

Suzanne Struglinski

Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2003 | 9:24 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., is trying to force the Veterans Affairs Department to consider rapid veteran population growth when deciding where to build hospitals or other medical facilities.

Ensign, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, added an amendment to require that consideration to a pending VA health care bill approved Tuesday by the committee.

He said this will help get new medical facilities to Nevada, including an in-patient hospital.

"If the needs of our veterans are going to be adequately met, the federal government must account for the population boom in Nevada's veteran community," Ensign said.

Ensign also added language to a report that accompanies that bill, which calls for a community-based veterans' outpatients clinic in Elko.

He said this will establish a priority for a clinic in Elko as the department continues to re-evaluate its health care system.

Las Vegas is set to get a new hospital and nursing home through the re-evaluation of the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services, or CARES, program.

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