The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill that increases oversight and management of Department of Veterans Affairs projects costing more than $100 million.
The bill would put management of these projects into the hands of the Army Corps of Engineers or other federal agencies. It would also require that the V.A. provide Congress with progress reports.
The legislation would also place financial restrictions on V.A. projects, with a 60-day notice requirement for planning and design funding. The House’s action came after concerns over mismanagement and cost overruns on a new V.A. hospital project in Aurora, Colo. That project is now expected to cost $1.7 billion — three times the original contract price — and is scheduled to open four years behind schedule in 2018.
Investigators say the project’s problems stem from design changes, and the V.A.'s decision to use a complicated contract process. The bill also authorizes expansion of a Tampa, Fla., V.A. hospital, and provides $561.4 million for five other projects.
The bill will go to the Senate for a vote.
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 18, 2024
A modular construction solution to the mental healthcare crisis
Maria Ionescu, Senior Medical Planner, Stantec, shares a tested solution for the overburdened emergency department: Modular hub-and-spoke design.
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 17, 2024
5 criteria to optimize medical office design
Healthcare designers need to consider privacy, separate areas for practitioners, natural light, outdoor spaces, and thoughtful selection of materials for medical office buildings.
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 15, 2024
First comprehensive cancer hospital in Dubai to host specialized multidisciplinary care
Stantec was selected to lead the design team for the Hamdan Bin Rashid Cancer Hospital, Dubai’s first integrated, comprehensive cancer hospital. Named in honor of the late Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the hospital is scheduled to open to patients in 2026.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Mar 14, 2024
First-of-its-kind sports and rehabilitation clinic combines training gym and healing spa
Parker Performance Institute in Frisco, Texas, is billed as a first-of-its-kind sports and rehabilitation clinic where students, specialized clinicians, and chiropractic professionals apply neuroscience to physical rehabilitation.
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 7, 2024
A healthcare facility in New Jersey will be located at a transit station
The project is part of a larger objective to make transportation hubs more multipurpose.
University Buildings | Feb 21, 2024
University design to help meet the demand for health professionals
Virginia Commonwealth University is a Page client, and the Dean of the College of Health Professions took time to talk about a pressing healthcare industry need that schools—and architects—can help address.
Hospital Design Trends | Feb 14, 2024
Plans for a massive research hospital in Dallas anticipates need for child healthcare
Children’s Health and the UT Southwestern Medical Center have unveiled their plans for a new $5 billion pediatric health campus and research hospital on more than 33 acres within Dallas’ Southwestern Medical District.
Healthcare Facilities | Feb 6, 2024
New surgical tower enhances healthcare services of a Long Island, N.Y., hospital
The eight-story Petrocelli Surgical Pavilion includes 132 intensive care rooms.
Standards | Feb 1, 2024
Prioritizing water quality with the WELL Building Standard
In this edition of Building WELLness, DC WELL Accredited Professionals Hannah Arthur and Alex Kircher highlight an important item of the WELL Building Standard: water.
Industry Research | Jan 23, 2024
Leading economists forecast 4% growth in construction spending for nonresidential buildings in 2024
Spending on nonresidential buildings will see a modest 4% increase in 2024, after increasing by more than 20% last year according to The American Institute of Architects’ latest Consensus Construction Forecast. The pace will slow to just over 1% growth in 2025, a marked difference from the strong performance in 2023.
