WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of Veterans Affairs has selected a site to serve as the location of a 21st century medical center in Louisville, Ky., replacing an existing 60-year-old facility.
“This new hospital will provide state-of-the-art health care for the Veterans of Louisville and the surrounding 35-county region,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “At VA, we’re committed to upgrading our facilities, programs and technologies to ensure our patients receive the best care anywhere.”
The site for the new VA medical center is located in Jefferson County, adjacent to the Brownsboro Road and I-264 interchange. That location is close to the current Robley Rex VA Medical Center and the downtown University of Louisville Hospital.
Now that the site has been selected, VA will undertake master planning and design. The facility is expected to cost about $883 million and open in late 2017 or early 2018.
The new medical center will have 110 inpatient beds and clinics specializing in primary care, surgery and mental health. The new facility will also have a geriatric and extended care program, a home-based primary care program, and a substance abuse residential rehabilitation treatment program.
VA operates one of the nation’s largest integrated healthcare systems in the country. With a budget of about $50 billion, VA expects to provide care to 6.3 million patients during 920,000 hospitalizations and nearly 90 million outpatient visits this year. VA’s healthcare network includes 152 major medical centers and more than 800 community-based outpatient clinics.
Last year, VA spent more than $1.9 billion on behalf of Kentucky’s 331,000 Veterans. In addition to the Louisville facility, VA operates a two-campus medical center in Lexington, nearly two dozen community-based outpatient clinics across the state, Vet Centers in Louisville and Lexington, and seven national cemeteries.
