Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village) announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded a contract to STGI to operate a new, larger interim healthcare clinic in Oxnard.
“Since coming to Congress, I have made expanding care to Ventura County’s veterans a top priority, including women’s health and mental health services,” said Congresswoman Brownley. “While I remain committed to seeing that the 48,000 square foot VA Oxnard Community Clinic outlined in the President’s FY2016 budget is completed, this new interim facility will provide local veterans with important and much-needed increased healthcare services that are closer to home in addition to nearly doubling the amount of space the VA has dedicated for veteran healthcare in Ventura County.”
The new VA Interim Facility in Oxnard will consist of 18,000 square feet of new space for veterans’ healthcare, including a separate space for women’s health, fully supported tele-health, mental health, and primary care services. In the coming months, additional services may be announced as VA continues to work with STGI and the local community. Congresswoman Brownley has been a tireless advocate for ensuring that mental health and women’s health services were included at the new interim facility.
In February 2014, as Ranking Member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health, Brownley held a field hearing in Ventura County on the importance of expanding mental health services to local veterans. Since that hearing, Brownley has worked with the VA and local veterans stakeholders to reduce wait times and increase the amount of veterans seen at the local VA Oxnard Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC).
Recently, Brownley attended a ribbon-cutting for an additional 4,000 square feet of space for mental health services at the VA Oxnard CBOC. While neither the CBOC expansion nor the interim facility serve as a replacement for the new 48, 000 square feet VA Oxnard Community Clinic outlined in the President’s FY2016 budget, Congresswoman Brownley looks forward to working with the VA as plans for the new interim facility in Oxnard move forward.
Issues: 114th Congress, Healthcare, Veterans' Affairs