Fed hospital a model for treatment of vets, military

Sen. Max Cleland, D-Ga., seemed genuinely impressed with the four-year-old Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital near Nellis Air Force Base.

"This is an awesome facility," said Cleland, confined to a wheelchair since 1967 when a grenade in Vietnam blew off both legs and his right arm, on a tour Sunday.

Cleland has seen Veteran's Administration hospitals around the country, not only as a patient but as VA director, an appointment made by President Jimmy Carter in 1977.

But the O'Callaghan facility, an $84-million joint venture between the Air Force and the VA, is not what he is accustomed to seeing and hearing about.

Rather than two agencies competing against each other for federal dollars, thus thinning the pool of available funds, the VA and Air Force cooperated in building a 94-bed facility that may be used by members of both organizations.

Downsizing of the Department of Defense has forced groups that traditionally have gone their separate ways in meeting the needs of their members to work together for the common good.

There are six such federal hospital facilities around the nation, but the O'Callaghan Federal Hospital was the first in the country built specifically with the new directive in mind.

"This is a precursor of the 21st century," Cleland said as he was given a guided tour of the hospital by Col. Stanley Uchman, who wears the dual titles of 99th Medical Group Commander and chief executive officer and president of the federal hospital.

Cleland was in Nevada over the weekend to attend several veterans' events, including the National Disabled American Veterans Conference at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel-casino convention center and a Salute to Nevada Veterans.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., ushered Cleland around to a number of tours, including the federal hospital, the Addeliear D. Guy Ambulatory Care Clinic and the Mobile Assistance and Shelter for Homeless.

"This is the future of medical care (for military and veterans). We are flight-testing it right now," Cleland said.

By co-operating rather than competing everyone will receive better care, according to Cleland.

"This taps the best of both worlds," he said.

Cleland said the joint-use of the hospital helps a group that in the past has "fallen through the cracks" -- veterans 65 and older.

Cleland said he was working to put into the Defense Authorization Bill a clause that would allow Medicare to pay for the use of the facility by retired veterans 65 and older.

"The No. 1 issue right now is the quality of care and access to care by veterans," Cleland said.

Cleland said the co-operative efforts, which sees military personnel and VA personnel working with each other, will be tested for the next two to three years and then recommendations will be made for adjustments.

"We're looking for a seamless system," he said.

Cleland said the joint effort is the only way to help maintain a balanced federal budget.

Cleland praised Reid for his efforts to improve the health care of veterans.

Cleland is one of the most highly respected spokesmen on the issue of health care for veterans.

In 1977 he was appointed head of the VA, the youngest administrator to hold that position. Seven years earlier, he was elected to the Georgia Senate at the age of 28, the youngest member of that body and the only Vietnam vet at the time.

In 1982 Cleland was elected secretary of state in Georgia, again the youngest to hold that position.

In 1996 he was elected to the U.S. Senate.

archive