Document text
CLEAR Temp: 65 °F Wind: NW at 4 mph Tuesday, August 12, 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 July 26, 2003 Could doors close at ‘the dom’? By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune WHITE CITY — The Department of Veterans Affairs is considering the eventual closure of the facility commonly known as the domiciliary. Renamed the VA's Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinics earlier this year, the facility is one of 30 around the nation whose future is under review, said Megan Streight, spokeswoman for the department’s regional office in Vancouver, Wash. The facility has about 550 residents and some 8,500 outpatients. It currently has 415 employees. Two residents and one employee told the Mail Tribune that the scuttlebutt at the facility is that it is closing. They asked not to be identified. Advertisement "The issue of potential closure is exceedingly premature," Streight said Friday afternoon. "They are only looking at that possibility as part of a study. "They are just gathering information at this point," she added. She was referring to the department’s Capital Asset Realignment Enhanced Services program known as CARES, which includes a two-year timeline. "It is designed to evaluate patient care," she said. "We are looking out 20 years from now how to best serve the veteran population." That study will include everything from where veterans will be living to their health, she said. All of the 22 VA regions in the nation have been asked to submit proposals as part of the department’s evaluation, she said. "They are asking for more specific information — they have identified the site in White City as one place they are looking at," she said. "It’s one of the 30 facilities nationwide they are looking at. "But they are just evaluating the way patient care is being delivered," she reiterated. "No final decision has been made. It’s very, very premature to say it is closing." A public hearing will be held Sept. 29 in Oregon to discuss the future of the former domiciliary, she said. However, the time and place of that meeting have not yet been determined, she said. Established as the Army's Camp White training site during World War II, it opened as a domiciliary on Feb. 20, 1949. In recent years, the domiciliary has stressed rehabilitation and training for veterans. 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. 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. 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 SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times