VA center to acquire former naval facility

The Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center has taken a step toward acquiring the former naval hospital complex in North Charleston.

On Monday, James Peake, secretary of Veterans Affairs, approved the Charleston VA's proposal to acquire the complex. Peake's approval was necessary before talks can begin between the VA and the Department of Defense.

The Navy is relocating its clinic to the consolidated Defense Department/VA clinic under construction at the Charleston Naval Weapons Station.

The Naval Health Clinic Charleston is scheduled to open at the new joint facility in 2009, which means the VA could occupy the complex in the next 18 months.

The former naval hospital will be used by the VA to establish an ambulatory care center for veteran outpatient services.

That will bring services closer to approximately 70 percent of VA's local patient population.

The main VA medical center, which is downtown, will offer expanded specialty services, ranging from rehabilitative medicine and neurology to cardiac catheterizations and open heart surgery.

The VA will relocate its Goose Creek Community Based Outpatient Clinic, which opened in North Charleston in 2006, to the consolidated Defense Department/VA clinic.

John Barilich, director of the Johnson medical center, said, "Our patient population has grown by 5 percent over the last year, and we are on target to realize 7 percent growth this year."

More than 352,000 patient visits occurred at the VA in fiscal 2007. That reflects a 9.7 percent increase over fiscal 2006.

"This is about planning for the future delivery of care to our current veterans and to those who are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan," Barilich said.