Biloxi VA could see cut in hospital beds under $2 trillion plan for veterans’ health
Biloxi isn’t on a new list of 35 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in 21 states recommended to be closed, but Biloxi will lose beds and services under a restructuring plan released Monday.
The Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission wants to reassign beds from Biloxi to Pensacola and New Orleans.
Military Times called it “a nearly $2 trillion infrastructure overhaul” and said that in addition to centers closing, the commission calls for 14 new major VA hospitals to be built along with 140 multi-specialty outpatient clinics.
Any changes are years away, since the plan must be approved by an independent commission of veterans advocates and Congress before moving ahead.
The report recommends these changes for the Biloxi VA:
▪ Reduce Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program beds at Biloxi.
▪ Decrease bed count from 72 to 36 beds.. This includes 20 general domiciliary beds and 16 PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) beds.
▪ Since the majority of those using the services live closer to Pensacola, the report says Substance Use Disorder beds will move to Pensacola.
▪ An additional 52 RRTP beds will be located in New Orleans to provide Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans and Substance Use Disorder services.
▪ Continue to strengthen resident surgery rotation from Keesler Air Force Base to improve veterans’ access to advanced technologies and bolster outpatient surgery and readiness for the Air Force.
▪ Strengthen the academic affiliation with William Carey University to create additional training options for students and improve veterans’ access to advanced technologies.
▪ Establish a collaboration to provide inpatient medical and surgical services and outpatient surgical services near Pensacola, which is two hours from Biloxi and is seeing a significant population increase. Naval Hospital Pensacola has excess capacity for ambulatory surgery and inpatient services, the report said.
The commission recommends maintaining inpatient mental health services and community living services in Biloxi.
The Biloxi VA was built in 1932 on 155 acres, the report said, and has had significant renovations and additions from 2009-2019 as a result of Hurricane Katrina. However, facility condition deficiencies are $101.8 million and annual maintenance costs are $17.9 million, the report said.
This story was originally published March 15, 2022 at 12:36 PM.
