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• High-tech swimsuits may equal faster times for local athletes, but can cost over $400

• San Joaquin County selected for Veterans Affairs nursing home, clinic

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November 2nd, 2009

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November 6th, 2009

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• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

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November 5th, 2009

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

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November 4th, 2009

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

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• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

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November 3rd, 2009

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November 2nd, 2009

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Public Meetings

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• Kyle Coumas funeral today

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• Area schools have no plans of closing due to H1N1 virus

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October 30th, 2009

• Officials hope new Highway 12 stoplight will make road safer

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• Roundup of Lodi-area Halloween events

• Lockeford soldier Kyle Coumas' funeral set for Monday

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San Joaquin County selected for Veterans Affairs nursing home, clinic

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has selected San Joaquin County for a new outpatient clinic and nursing home for veterans, to be built in 2015.

The clinic will expand its current veterans clinic in French Camp as an interim measure. The expanded clinic, to be completed in December or January, will include radiology, dentistry, optometry, audiology, physical therapy and a pharmacy, according to Kerri Childress, a spokeswoman for the Palo Alto Veterans Administration Hospital.

Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, said in a phone interview on Thursday that he's also excited about the 900 construction and health care jobs the $253 million nursing home and outpatient will bring to the region.

The decision to locate in San Joaquin County, announced on Thursday, came after several years of lobbying by McNerney, county officials and veterans in San Joaquin, Tuolumne and Calaveras counties.

"That's very exciting news," county Supervisor Ken Vogel said. "We were waiting with bated breath. We were told for the past month that the decision was imminent."

The news was also exciting to Lodi-area veterans as well.

"These guys have to drive all the way to Livermore. That's too far to drive," said Kenny Kramlich, service officer for the Lodi American Legion.

Bill Pfeiffle, commander for the Lockeford Veterans of Foreign Wars, agreed with Kramlich, adding that some veterans have to go all the way to Palo Alto for some services.

McNerney said he met with the current and prior secretary of veterans affairs, had the House Veterans Committee chairman tour a potential site in French Camp and organized a public rally in San Joaquin County.

San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties competed for the coveted VA clinic and nursing home.

"I made a special plea to the White House," McNerney said in a phone interview on Thursday afternoon. "I was pulling out all the stops. I didn't leave anything to chance."

Although it is believed the new VA buildings will be built adjacent to San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp, VA officials have yet to officially identify a location within San Joaquin County. That decision won't take place until June or July, Childress said.

"We're probably looking at three or four locations in the county," Childress said, adding that she doesn't know the other locations aside from French Camp.

Vogel said he's surprised that the French Camp site hasn't already been selected.

"That was our main selling point for San Joaquin County," Vogel said. "It's next to the existing VA health clinic there."

Childress said of the French Camp site, "It may very well end up there."

Palo Alto VA officials chose San Joaquin County because more than 80,000 veterans live in the San Joaquin-Stanislaus-Calaveras-Tuolumne county area, Childress said in a news release. The number will continue to increase as veterans migrate away from the San Francisco Bay area's high cost of living into more affordable communities, she said.

After reviewing criteria such as veteran population, transportation, potential hospital partnerships, cost of land and availability of qualified medical staff, VA officials determined that San Joaquin County would be the preferred location, Childress said.

"I'm very thankful for Congressman McNerney's support," Vogel said. "I think it's a great boost for our veterans and much needed."

The nursing home to be built in San Joaquin County will replace an existing one in Livermore, Childress said. Kramlich said he hopes that VA officials keep the Livermore nursing home as well as construct a new one closer to home, but Childress said that won't happen.

"It's nice, beautiful," Kramlich said of the Livermore nursing home. "They live high on the hog over there. They sit on top of the hill over Livermore."

Childress agreed that the Livermore nursing home is beautiful, but it no longer meets the VA's standards.

"Our new nursing home is going to be beautiful," Childress said.

Additionally, three-quarters of veterans living in the Livermore nursing home come from the four-county area including San Joaquin, Childress said.

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.