Veterans Administration clinic for Laughlin expected to go out for bid in near future

By JIM MANIACI, Laughlin Nevada Times

LAUGHLIN – The Secretary of the U.S. Veterans Administration says its will take a minimum of 11 months to build and staff and outreach clinic in Laughlin, once the contract for the building is awarded.

In a June 16 letter to Third District Congresswoman Dina Titus, D-Nev., relayed to the Laughlin Economic Development Corporation, Eric K. Shinseki wrote that the VA’s southern Nevada health care system “plans to contract for staffing and space to operate this new clinic. They are currently working on a solicitation which will be released soon. The contracting process will take at least 44 weeks before the clinic is staffed and activated. The lack of available commercial space in the Laughlin area for leasing and the possible need for new construction our build-out of space will affect the activation schedule.”

He added that he directed the VA-SNHCS manager to keep her informed.

Laughlin qualified for the branch center when it reached 1,300 enrolled military veterans seeking service in the North Las Vegas-based system. That is where Laughlin vets have to go now.

The clinic also is expected to draw heavy use from military veterans in northwestern Arizona who currently have to travel to Prescott in the mountains of Yavapai County or to Phoenix.

According to the economic development group, “Facility options have been identified and will be submitted to the VA-SNHCS for review and consideration.”

One local developer estimated about 3,000 sq.-ft. would be needed.

In May, the freshman congresswoman announ-ced $1.1 million had been allocated from $274 million appropriated for 74 rural outreach centers. She said Laughlin would be a part-time clinic for primary care, mental health and ancillary health care services.

The clinic is part of the VA southern Nevada effort to take the strain off the main hospital near Nellis Air Force Base.

$1.1 million allocated for veterans clinic

By JIM MANIACI, Laughlin Nevada Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nevada Third District Congresswoman Dina Titus announced on May 21 that $1.1 million has been allocated for the Laughlin military veterans outreach clinic. It also will serve veterans in northwestern Arizona.

The money is part of $215 million for 74 projects to assist veterans in rural areas across the country. The project will establish a part-time outreach clinic for primary care, mental health, and ancillary health care services to more than 1,300 veterans, she said in a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. She urged him to have the department quickly build the clinic.

Her announcement brought a quick reaction from Pete Gorie, president of the Laughlin Economic Development Corporation.

“This has been a long time coming. The whole region should be ecstatic with this exciting development. Representatives of the LEDC, the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars recently met with Dan Giraldo, district director for Congresswoman Dina Titus. Subsequent to that meeting, on May 21 Congresswoman Titus sent a letter to Secretary Erik K. Shinseki, Department of Veterans Affairs, requesting a timeline for establishing the clinic.” Giraldo visited on May 12 for the Laughlin Town Advisory Board meeting about amending a 63-year-old law under which the federal government does not have to keep the Laughlin Lagoon channel to the Colorado River open.

Money for the Laughlin clinic was awarded after a competitive process.

The likelihood of a river cities clinic was unveiled about a year ago when a high-ranking doctor at the VA hospital near Nellis Air Force Base visited Laughlin to explain the establishment of several outreach clinics to take the strain off the main hospital while bringing services closer to veterans.

The official said the area had reached the minimum number of veterans to qualify for a clinic and that it would take a year for the VA to approve it.