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Support is strong for VA hospital in Millpond Business Center

News Enterprise - 1/5/2017

"The right place at the right time, for the right people" became the mantra at Tuesday's town hall meeting regarding the desire to bring a VA hospital to Radcliff.

Mayor Mike Weaver cited reason after reason why Radcliff should be selected before a gathering of veterans and residents at Colvin Community Center.

"All of that needs to be taken into consideration and if they are not taking it into consideration, they are not looking out for the veterans this hospital is designed to serve," Weaver said.

The mayor, a retired U.S. Army colonel who frequents the veterans hospital on Zorn Avenue in Louisville, declared the proposed site on Brownsboro Road as the wrong decision. Weaver said where to locate a new VA hospital needs to be made with veterans in mind and not the physicians and staff who work there.

Shannon Rickey was one of the veterans at the meeting.

"I'm excited. This is a good opportunity for our community," said the six-year U.S. Navy veteran. "We're a veteran community. This is a huge military-retiree community and we love veterans here."

Rickey is a disabled veteran. Because of her work schedule at Human Resources Command at Fort Knox and the current location of the Robley Rex VA Medical Center on Zorn Avenue, she finds it difficult to appointments.

"It's so out of reach," she said.

Noting the veteran population is "an aging one," Rickey believes moving the VA hospital to an already traffic-congested area is a bad decision.

Vernon Jones spent eight months as a patient at the VA hospital on Zorn Avenue.

"I was scared to death every time she'd leave," he said, regarding his wife's safety.

The Korean War veteran is in agreement with a proposal to locate the new veterans hospital on 50 acres in the Millpond Business Center off Ky. 313.

"You can't beat it," he said. "It will also save the government millions of dollars buying the property."

He believes the area being saturated with a veteran population has to serve as an attraction.

Dave Jarrett, a U.S. Navy and Vietnam War veteran and chairman of the Joint Executive Counsel of Veterans Organizations, was impressed with Weaver's presentation.

"The energy you saw in that room was great," he said.

He also believes Radcliff would be a better location than land acquired in eastern Jefferson County near Watterson for the hospital.

The Disabled American Veterans service officer is concerned about one hurdle Weaver and others may not have thought through. He explained every VA hospital across the nation is paired with a medical university. He mentioned the VA hospital in Lexington is paired with the University of Kentucky Medical Center. Louisville'sVA hospital is paired with University Hospital in Louisville.

During the meeting, Weaver mentioned veterans in the Bowling Green area also would be better served by a Radcliff location.

Jarrett said veterans near Kentucky's southern border are served by the VA hospital in Nashville.

"My only concern with the way the VA health care system is set up - a lot of the VA hospitals are a teaching hospital and that dynamic cannot be duplicated in Radcliff," he said.

Jarrett said it's a good idea. He also believes the Brownsboro Road site "is terrible and Radcliff would be better."

Dynamics of the situation take on a whole different viewpoint with regard to other veterans. He believes veterans in the Louisville and Southern Indiana areas might think something is being taken away from them.

"People need to look at the whole picture," Jarrett said. "Is the (Radcliff) site much better? Absolutely."

SHARE YOUR VIEW

Residents can participate in public comment period regarding the VA's draft environmental impact report expires Jan. 11. Go online to www.Louisville-EIS.com or send comments by email to LouisvilleReplacementHospitalComments@va.gov.

Radcliff Small Business Alliance has an organized letter-writing campaign. A sample letter is available from T.W. Shortt and other RSBA officers and member businesses. It also can be found online at http://www.thepetitionsite.com.

Greg Thompson can be reached at 270-505-1762 or gthompson@thenewsenterprise.com.