Tracy Press

Press editorial

It’s human nature to compartmentalize the needs of war veterans, forgetting them except on holidays, like Memorial Day celebrated two days ago. Our politicians do it. Look at how many in Washington, D.C., raced to sponsor legislation in support of our troops before the holiday.

Rep. Jerry McNerney was one of them, but the Pleasanton Democrat has set himself apart by continuing a crusade to provide the best medical and psychological care for servicemen and -women returning from battle. One aspect is keeping the Livermore Veterans Affairs Medical Center open; it’s proposed to be closed with a new VA medical clinic built in French Camp or Stanislaus County.

McNerney has asked the VA to maintain and expand the services at the Livermore center and perhaps at the French Camp clinic to care for a new generation of veterans afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder.

About 20 percent of the 1.5 million Americans serving in the Iraq and Afghan war zones are expected to struggle with stress when returning to civilian life. The suicide rate of soldiers has risen from 12 to 17 per 100,000, alarming military psychiatrists. The VA’s inspector general says few VA hospitals have the staff, trained workers or capabilities to screen and service such mental health needs.

The pastoral setting of the campus in southern Livermore is picture-perfect for medical and psychological treatment for veterans shocked by the horrors of war. It has a 120-bed hospital for long-term care and 30 beds for sub-acute inpatients.

This opportunity for PTSD care should not preclude the VA from maintaining clinical services at its quarter-century-old hospital/clinic in Livermore. Also deserving of similar services is the Central Valley where, because of home prices, more returning soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen are living. It makes sense to expand the French Camp VA clinic that is a neighbor to San Joaquin General Hospital so northern San Joaquin Valley veterans can have comprehensive treatment without driving over the Altamont Pass. This care should include nursing home beds.

Are there enough medical and mental health patients and enough budgetary patience from the government panel considering realignment of VA facilities to have VA hospitals in Livermore and French Camp There are if Livermore becomes the western mental health center for veterans who return with PTSD and French Camp assumes more of the Livermore VA hospital’s traditional role.

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written by Ubbo Coty , May 30, 2007

I have been to the VA hospital in Livermore and it is a nice older style building with alot of history to it also. The area is nice and surrounded by wildlife too. My kids enjoyed seeing the wild turkeys and watching the deer roam the hills.
I am not sure about what kind of weight Mr McNerney has on the issue of that VA center staying open. Big deal, so he wrote a letter. What he needs to do is organize a force of vets and make a presentation to Congress. There is strength in numbers. Besides, there is more to the story. There has been talk of closing it (Livermore) for a long time. It is an old building and the cost of repairing and maintenence might not be worth it. I would like to see it stay open though. It was clean, and the staff working there was nice too. One man was a Pearl Harbour Survivor and gave my son a picture of the harbour while it was under attack. Since my son had been to visit the Arizona Memorial before these two had a great time talking, and my son was 5! My point is these older hospitals also are a great place to talk and visit with vets from previous conficts. Many of them have been seeking treatment at these facilities for years and to close them and force the vets to travel longer distances for treatment would be cruel. One nice thing though the VA does have a shuttle van. This is one of many points that should be made to the people who want to close them.
As a vet, I say keep it open, it beats other healthcare systems like "Kaiser".

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written by David Hardesty , May 30, 2007

“ . . . its quarter-century-old hospital/clinic in Livermore.” OK, it’s a small thing but hardly just a quarter-century old. It has a much longer and proud history. The hospital have the credit it deserves especially when the information was so very easy to come by.

“The Livermore Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) began operations in 1929 as a tuberculosis hospital.” Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES), www.va.gov/cares/documents/Liv...mmary1.pdf

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written by Mark David Ecklestein , May 30, 2007

This would be a nice first "big" thing for McNerney to get accomplished. My experiences with the VA as a congressional intern were utterly defeating and depressing, so any improvement to the system, especially in the wake of the Walter Reed scandal, is welcome. Hopefully, with Nancy's help (call him a lapdog if you want, but that's how Pombo got it done, hanging with Newt and deLay), he can.