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L/RAIN Temp: 55 °F Wind: N at 5 mph Tuesday, April 29, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend April 9, 2003 ‘The Dom’ gets a new name: VA SORCC The change was made to reflect the area served and specialization of the center By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune WHITE CITY — After being affectionately known as "The Dom" for more than half a century, the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Domiciliary has undergone a name change. But the new name doesn’t roll off the tongue as easily as "The Dom." It is now called the VA’s Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinics, or the VA SORCC, for short. (The acronym is pronounced "source," officials say.) The name change, which required approval from the department’s Washington, D.C., office, was made to reflect the changes in the center’s mission, explained Max McIntosh, its chief operating officer. "It identifies the geographic area we now serve and indicates that we specialize in the rehabilitation of veterans across the broad spectrum," he explained. The department’s domiciliaries hark back to the Civil War, when President Lincoln signed a bill early in 1865 to authorize the creation of an asylum for the "relief of totally disabled officers and men." By the 1960s, there were 18 VA domiciliaries around the country, with the White City site being the largest not affiliated with a hospital. "We do have a domiciliary element, but it’s a very small percent of what we do," McIntosh said, noting there are about 50 beds for that purpose. "Years ago that was a major program here," he added. "But so much has been added to the entire organization here." In recent years, the domiciliary has stressed rehabilitation and training for veterans, thus reducing the cost to taxpayers while giving veterans a helping hand to survive on their own, officials said. The various programs available to veterans at the center include education, job training and substance abuse treatment. Several clinics also have been created, including a chronic pain clinic and a diabetes clinic. Outpatients now far outnumber the center’s residents: There are more than 8,500 outpatients compared to about 550 residents. "A domiciliary was basically a place to come to have a respite period," McIntosh said. "What we have now is totally different." In 1995, the VA worked with Rogue Community College to open a campus at the domiciliary. The campus is used both by veterans and the staff. An alternative high school program also has been created at the site. Established as the Army’s Camp White training site during World War II, it opened as a domiciliary on Feb. 20, 1949. It is one of three VA sites in Oregon, including a secondary care center in Roseburg and a large regional hospital in Portland. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S