Ehrlich on Washington column, July 31, 2000

MEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Road, Suite 304 3 1 5 Cannon House Office Building Lutherville, Maryland 2 1 093 Washington, D.C. 205 1 5 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON Week of July 3 1 , 2000 By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Fort Howard’s Future Begins Now Last year, I relayed to you my optimism about the future of the Fort Howard Veterans Administration Medical Center (FHVAMC). I am pleased to report, Fort Howard’s future begins now thanks to Veterans Administration Secretary Togo West’s recent approval of the mission change request for FHVAMC. Until this change was approved, Fort Howard’s ability to serve our veterans health care needs in a viable, effective manner remained doubtful. The hospital at Fort Howard is rife with problems; its elevators, electrical, and plumbing systems are outdated; accessibility for the handicapped is poor, and even the windows leak. Incredibly, FHVAMC may have the only hospital of any kind in the state without central air conditioning. Now, thankfully, our veterans no longer have to worry about these problems. They can look to Fort Howard with hope for the future. Secretary West’s approval of the Fort Howard mission change has moved the focus from desperately attempting to maintain a hospital unable to meet private sector community standards to actually maintaining all current patient programs through relocation as needed to other Veterans Administration (VA) facilities. In addition, the VA at Fort Howard will operate a new “continuum of care” whose plans include construction of new residential care units, a VA outpatient primary care unit, assisted and independent care living units and possibly a veterans nursing home. In my previous column on Fort Howard, I stated the need for pro-active measures to save Fort Howard as a viable entity and to ensure its current employees have the option to relocate to other VAHCS facilities. Working with Maryland VAHCS Director Dennis Smith, other elected officials, and many of you who have loved, volunteered and cared for those veterans at Fort Howard, I believe we have succeeded in taking the appropriate steps to usher in a bright future for Fort Howard. This is good for the community, Fort Howard’s employees and, most importantly, our veterans, who deserve the best quality care available. Over the course of the mission change, from blueprint to concrete, I will keep you updated on the progress at Fort Howard. In the meantime, Fort Howard employees and patients are encouraged