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McCook Gazette
Letter to the Editor

Veterans Home in North Platte

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Dear Editor,

I'm disappointed that there hasn't been as much in our daily newspaper about the possibility of having a Veterans Home built in North Platte and what area residents can do to help with this progress. More information can be found on their website atwww.VetsHomeInNorthPlatte.com.

As noted in the Sunday, May 26 edition of the North Platte Telegraph, there are several things that people can do to show their support before the deadline of May 30. One is to become a fan of the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/vetsHomeInNorth Platte. Another is by Twitter -- @VetsHomeInNP. Letters or contact with the governor and the three members of the site selection committee explaining why North Platte should be the location of choice for the next Veteran Home with a copy sent to the NP Chamber of Commerce, 502 S Dewey, North Platte, NE 69101 or Fax to (308) 532-4827 or check their website at www.northplattechamber.com which will be used in the site selection presentation. Addresses are: Honorable Governor Dave Heineman, Office of the Governor, P.O. Box 94848, Lincoln, NE 68509-4848; Mr. Carlos Castillo, Director, Dept. of Administrative Services, State Capitol, Room 1315, Lincoln, NE 68509; Mr. John Hilgert, Director, NE Dept. of Veterans Affairs, P.O.Box 95083, Lincoln, NE 68509-5083; or Ms. Catherine Lang, Director, NE Dept. of Labor, 550 South 16 thStreet, Lincoln, NE 68508.

Excerpts from the NP Telegraph explain that North Platte would be a perfect community fit for the next Nebraska Veterans Home due to their offering of excellent health care; many outdoor, handicap-accessible recreation opportunities; easily accessible public transportation and a quality work force, along with several potential land options that meet the selections committee's criteria.

There is a multi-million dollar expansion of the Health Sciences at Mid-Plains Community College providing a reliable stream of nurses and related professionals.

Also, Great Plains Regional Medical Center has a $100 million expansion underway, bringing state-of-the-art hospital services to North Platte.

By selecting North Platte as the site of the Nebraska Veterans Home would create a highly impactful, much-needed economic boost in west central Nebraska. This site is located equal distance from facilities in the western and eastern ends of our state and a central location would create equal access to all Nebraska veterans.

With 9,622 veterans living in this 19-county region and 350 potential jobs, we can't afford to miss this opportunity and do all we can to make this a reality.

Respectfully,

Carol Stensvad

McCook, Nebraska

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  • Good Afternoon,

    In my opinion the benefits of leaving the new facility in Grand Island outweigh the limited benefits of building the new facility in North Platte.

    With the VA Hospital nearby the need to outsource medical care needed by the residents of the facility is eliminated! This is the main reason so many Veterans Homes are built near VA Hospitals. The boost given to the local economy of North Platte would be offset by the cost to the VA system that is underfunded as is. As a veteran myself I think those dollars need to stay with the VA System and be used to upgrade the medical facilities and hire personnel to work in those facilities. The backlog of processing new claims in some regions is 279 days or longer. www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/04/veterans-affairs-backlog-files-were-stacked...

    We need to focus on what is of the greater good for the veterans not necessarily the local economy! Just my opinion. Thank You.

    Very Respectfully

    HM1(FMF) Tyler Hayes(Ret.)USN

    Vice President Fort Hays State University Student Veterans Association

    -- Posted by DocBonesaw on Thu, May 30, 2013, at 4:38 PM

  • Ma'am, Your numbers are correct for the number of veterans living in the region but, a Veteran's Home does not benefit any where near that number by definition off of the Grand Island website it is: "The focus of the Veterans' Homes is on wellness, and allowing people to live their lives to the fullest through different levels of health care: domiciliary care for people who are ambulatory and need minimal assistance; and both intermediate and skilled nursing care."

    The current facility only has a 266 bed capacity. So please keep in mind most of those With 9,622 veterans living in this 19-county region would still have to travel to the North Platte, or Holdrege Community-Based Outpatient Clinics; or to the VA Hospital in Grand Island or Omaha. The Community-Based Outpatient Clinics are limited in the care they can provide, and most specialty care must be provided at one of the two VA Hospitals.

    So the movement of the Veteran's Home would not benefit a huge percentage of the 9,622 veterans it just would cost more to the VA to fund the required treatment of the veterans living in it!

    Here is a link to the Grand Island Veteran's Home website so you can read about what services it actually provides: http://dhhs.ne.gov/veterans/Pages/vets_gi.aspx

    -- Posted by DocBonesaw on Thu, May 30, 2013, at 4:58 PM
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