November 10, 2003
For Immediate Release

First Steps Complete Towards a Joint Navy-VA Hospital
Naval Mental Health Facility Moves to North Chicago VA

North Chicago, IL - Congressman Kirk announced Monday that the Navy's mental health unit has moved into the North Chicago Veteran's Administration Medical Center. The move marks the first step towards the creation of a joint Navy-VA federal health care facility for veterans, active duty, military retirees, and active duty dependents. This combination will culminate five years from now in the construction of a $170 million new joint Navy-VA hospital.

Congressman Kirk joined U.S. Navy Admiral Ann Rondeau, U.S. Navy Captain Michael Anderson and Veterans Administration Medical Center Director Patrick Sullivan. Great Lakes Naval Hospital and the North Chicago Veterans Administration Medical Center currently operate less than one mile apart.

"The integration of our Navy and VA hospitals will offer better care for active duty and veterans alike," said Kirk. “By moving the Navy into our VA, our veterans hospital will never close. This will ensure veterans health care in northern Illinois far into the future." Veterans hospitals have been closed in other parts of the country. This integration project kept the North Chicago VA open.

Over 50,000 veterans live in Lake County. The census bureau projects this number will grow to 55,000 by 2010. The Navy is also in the middle of a one billion dollar expansion of Great Lakes Naval Training Center. Part of that expansion will be the construction of a new $170 Naval Ambulatory Care Center -- now to be located next to the current VA.

"Navy-VA cooperation here will become a model for excellent health care at reduced taxpayer expense," said Kirk. “Integration between the Navy and VA will ensure the survival of veterans health care in Northern Illinois while upgrading the care received by our navy recruits."

In 2001, President Bush convened a task force to look at ways to improve health care for our nation's veterans. Recommendations from the task force were released this past spring. The task force emphasized increased cooperation between the VA and DoD as essential to providing quality health care to veterans across the country.

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