NGTON. DC 20:3 i 0?0905




 

May 25, 2016

Robert A. McDonald

Secretary

US. Department of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Avenue NW, Room 1000
Washington, DC 20420

Dear Secretary McDonald,

I am writing in support of the recently re-submitted grant application for the Copas
Veterans Nursing Home in St. Lucie County by the Florida Department of Veteran Affairs
(FDVA).

FDVA was previously awarded a VA grant to construct the Copas Veterans Nursing
Home. The nursing home was to be built in St. Lucie County, an area in which veterans in need
of nursing home care are underserved. However, in the interim between grant award and start of
construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) changed the criteria to which veterans
nursing homes must be built, in order to bring them in line with new Community Living Center
(CLC) standards.

Now that Veterans Nursing Homes are required to be built to VA CLC standards, the
Copas Veterans Nursing Home project faces a greater shortfall between grant funds awarded and
costs of construction to the new standards.

I am hopeful that re-submitted application will be reviewed in a timely manner,
and that a new grant will be approved so that construction on the facility can start as soon as
possible. Providing the appropriate funding for this project will allow FDVA to achieve our
shared goal of providing care to veterans in an underserved part of Florida.

I look forward to updates from your staff regarding the consideration of grant
applications for construction funding for this project and Veterans Nursing Homes nationwide.
Please do not hesitate to contact Bale Dalton in my of?ce at bale dalton@billnelsonsenategov
or (202) 224-5274 with additional questions. Thank you for your atte tion to this issue.

Si erely