WASHINGTON – Veterans throughout the Caribbean are another step closer to having a new state-of-the-art health care facility from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as the Honorable R. James Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and other officials broke ground today for a six-story tower in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“VA remains committed to bringing world-class health care and greater access to care for veterans throughout the Caribbean,” Nicholson said. “This ground-breaking represents another important step toward enhancing care for the region’s veterans.”
When completed, the structure on the southern end of the grounds of the San Juan VA Medical Center, part of the VA Caribbean Healthcare System, will encompass seismic and structural corrections, provide veterans with more privacy, and feature new electronic equipment.
The 225,585-square-foot facility should be completed in three years and will house 314 beds. It will be a stand-alone structure, complete with state-of-the-art building systems, fire protection and life safety devices, 100 percent emergency power, energy efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning and lighting systems.
The $84 million contract for construction was awarded to Heery International/PMC.
In Puerto Rico, the VA Caribbean Healthcare System includes the main hospital in Río Piedras, multispecialty clinics in Ponce and Mayaguez, and community-based outpatient clinics in Arecibo and Guayama. In the Virgin Islands, VA’s Caribbean system operates outpatient clinics in St. Thomas and St. Croix.
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