FRENCH CAMP — The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has selected two sites to purchase for new Community Based Outpatient Clinics in San Joaquin and Alameda counties. 

“Veterans deserve the best quality and health care,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.  “This expansion demonstrates VA’s commitment to Veterans.  We will ensure they have access to the top-notch care they have earned through their military service.”

A new, expanded community-based outpatient clinic (CBOC) and 120-bed community living center will be built at French Camp in San Joaquin County.  A new CBOC will be built at Technology Court in Alameda County in the East Bay.

Construction of the new facilities is tentatively planned to begin in 2014 or 2015, and operation of the new facilities is anticipated to begin by early 2018.

Until the new outpatient clinics and community living center are constructed, VA Palo Alto Health Care System will continue to operate, maintain and upgrade buildings and services at the Livermore Division.  Once the new facilities are open in the Central Valley and East Bay, VA will evaluate the best reuse for the Livermore Campus.

Through the development of these new facilities, VAPAHCS will continue to expand services to meet the growing demand for health care services in both the Central Valley and the East Bay.  VAPAHCS opened a new, 10,000 square foot CBOC in Fremont in 2010, and is currently expanding the existing Stockton CBOC to serve Veterans until the opening of the larger clinics in these counties.  In addition, a new 23,250-square-foot clinic will be built over the next two years in Modesto. 

This project will more than double the size of the current Modesto CBOC and will allow VAPAHCS to offer expanded services for Veterans.

Five years ago the decision was made to relocate programs at the Livermore Campus to the Central Valley and East Bay to better serve veterans. Throughout the site selection process, criteria such as the geographic location of the veteran population, transportation, potential hospital partnerships and cost of land were taken into consideration.