Washington, DC – Rep. Jerry McNerney (CA-09) and Jeff Denham (CA-10) today applauded the inclusion of funding for the construction of the Central Valley Community Based Outpatient Clinic in French Camp as part of President Obama’s FY 2016 budget request for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Both members have long championed the need for construction of this facility
The president’s budget request calls for $139 million in funding for the Livermore Realignment Project. Specifically this funding would provide for construction of a 150,000 sqft Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) at the French Camp Site.
“The president heard our bipartisan call for action and included funding for the French Camp project in his budget for the VA,” said Rep. McNerney. “I have been pressing the administration since I came to Congress to build this facility. Veterans in the Central Valley are waiting too long and driving too far to get the quality care they have earned.”
“The inclusion of the French Camp Veterans Affairs clinic in the President’s budget request is a major step forward to bringing high quality healthcare to veterans right here in the Central Valley,” said Rep. Denham. “However, it is clear that we must remain vigilant in our oversight to ensure that the project is completed on-time and on-budget. We worked on a bipartisan basis to get to this point, and I’m pleased to see French Camp funding take priority in the President’s budget.”
The French Camp project has been deemed “shovel ready,” as the land has already been purchased and the facility has been designed by an architect. In a January 13, 2015 letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald, the two Representatives noted:
Central Valley veterans deserve access to state-of-the-art health care facilities closer to their home and have waited patiently for…construction to start for years. One completed, the (facility) will serve approximately 87,000 veterans in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Calaveras, and Tuolumne Counties, and create employment for nearly 400 people, and hundreds more during construction.
The French Camp site is a 52-acre, undeveloped parcel of farm land, located adjacent to I-5, the San Joaquin County General Hospital and the existing Stockton CBOC. The location affords excellent visibility from the major roadways and will present opportunities for continued collaboration with the county hospital. Services at the CBOC will include Primary Care, Mental Health, PT/OT, Radiology, Laboratory, Pharmacy, Audiology and Speech Pathology, Eye, Dental, Prosthetics and limited other specialty services on a part-time and/or telehealth basis (Includes Cardiology, GI, Rheumatology, Orthopedics, Podiatry).
Milestones in French Camp medical facility construction:
- 2004: VA Secretary identifies a national Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services plan, which approves Livermore for realignment
- Post CARES: VA commissions study for site selection based on Veteran population, demographics, accessibility and projected future state
- 2007: Secretary approves CLC facility in the Central Valley
- 2008: VA Palo Alto completes major construction (OMB300) application for this project
- 2009: Secretary approves CLC facility to be located in San Joaquin County
- 2010: $55 million is approved by Congress to purchase the two parcels and to hire the project architect
- 2011: French Camp Site selected for new Central Valley CBOC/CLC
- 2011: Fremont Technology Court/Auto Mall Parkway selected for new East Bay CBOC
- 2012: Schematic design was been completed by architect – HDR San Francisco
