Panel advises against moving VA beds to Menlo Park Panel advises against moving VA beds to Menlo Park (March 10, 2004)

Despite an earlier plan to move 80 nursing home beds from the Veterans Affairs Livermore campus to the VA's Menlo Park site, a federal commission has recommended keeping the beds where they are.

The entire 120-bed nursing home campus should remain in Livermore, states the report by the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services Commission.

The report, released February 13, recommends moving Livermore's 30-bed "sub-acute" unit, which offers skilled-nursing care, to the Palo Alto campus. It also recommends moving some outpatient services into other locations in the East Bay and Central Valley, because many veterans living in those areas now have to come to Livermore to receive care, said Veterans Affairs spokesman William Ball.

The study was initiated in response to concerns that the VA was wasting money on unused buildings. It also issued recommendations on changes at other VA hospitals across the country.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi said he would make a final decision on the commission's recommendations in about 30 days.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

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