WASHINGTON — Officials from Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago today signed an agreement leasing the Lakeside Veterans Affairs Medical Center from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“This agreement illustrates sound business practices that will bring Chicago area veterans greater access to high quality health care far into the future,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi, who signed the agreement on behalf of the Department.
The property, at 333 E. Huron Street, will be leased to both Northwestern Memorial and the Rehabilitation Institute in a joint venture under a 75-year lease which will provide up to a total $50 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Under the agreement, VA will continue to occupy and operate a community based outpatient clinic at Lakeside until at least December 31, 2007.
The agreement allows VA to move forward with implementation of CARES – “Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services” — a process which enables VA to realign health care services to provide greater access to higher quality care that veterans use.
In August 2003, VA moved inpatients from Lakeside to the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center (JBVAMC) on Chicago’s west side. As a result of CARES, construction is currently underway at the JBVAMC for a new $99.5 million 209 patient bed tower with completion anticipated in 2007.
Other projects nearing completion to serve veterans in the Chicago area as a result of CARES are a new Spinal Cord Injury Center and Blind Rehabilitation Center at Hines VA Hospital near Maywood, Illinois, 12 miles west of downtown Chicago.
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Reporters and media outlets with questions or comments should contact the Office of Media Relations at vapublicaffairs@va.gov
Veterans with questions about their health care and benefits (including GI Bill). Questions, updates and documents can be submitted online.
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