Bob Beauprez: “Mr. Speaker, I am proud to speak today in support of the Veterans Health Care Capital Asset and Business Improvement Act…”

“Mr. Speaker, I am proud to speak today in support of the Veterans Health Care Capital Asset and Business Improvement Act of 2003. Like many systems in the VA, the Denver Medical Veterans Center in Colorado was constructed about 50 years ago primarily to provide low-volume inpatient care to our veteran population in Colorado. Today, we have an opportunity to provide health care in a much more efficient manner. This legislation, as has already been mentioned, will allow for the relocation of the VA hospital to the new Fitzsimons campus. Such relocation would allow for a modern facility to deliver modern health care on a state-of-the-art medical campus. The VA would be able to continue the synergistic University of Colorado partnership which will provide numerous operational efficiencies, as well as access to an extensive staff of doctors, technicians and specialists. S. 1156 would authorize this critical relocation. It is my belief that the savings in operational efficiencies at Fitzsimons in itself will pay for the construction of the new hospital. Construction of a new hospital at Fitzsimons also allows for the ability to build a much-needed spinal cord injury center.”