The VA construction program took more hits recently after the chairman of a congressional Committee on Veterans’ Affairs called an Aurora, Colo., hospital project “a disaster,” and a key VA official resigned abruptly.
The 182-bed Aurora hospital has incurred more than $1 billion in cost overruns. The Army Corps of Engineers has taken over the management of the project. Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee, said the breakdown was due to “pure incompetence.” Democrats on that committee last week proposed stripping the VA of any construction authority.
Contractor Kiewit-Turner ceased construction on the Aurora hospital in December after the United States Civilian Board of Contract Appeals determined that the VA breached its contract by failing to provide a design that could be built for $582,840,000.
Rep. Jeff Miller called for the agency to fire the executives responsible for construction of VA hospitals. Amid this controversy, Glenn Haggstrom, principal executive director of the Office of Acquisition, Logistics and Construction with the VA abruptly resigned his post.
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 10, 2016
Top 10 health technology hazards include some influenced by space design
ECRI Institute’s annual list includes operational and workflow issues.
Healthcare Facilities | May 30, 2016
CBRE finds that investors are still flocking to healthcare sector
Over the past year, healthcare accounted for nearly one-fifth of all new jobs in the U.S.
Big Data | May 27, 2016
Analytics alone won't save money for healthcare facility owners
Advanced technology provides insight into the actions necessary to cut costs, but it's the people, processes, and implementation that make a difference with analytics, writes CBRE's Paul Oswald.
Hospital Design Trends | May 19, 2016
CannonDesign releases new white paper on advancements in operating room environments
"Surgical Suites: Emerging Approaches to Planning and Design" offers solutions for collaboration and technology integration.
Healthcare Facilities | May 6, 2016
Infographic: The greening of healthcare
By adopting green building and sustainable practices, healthcare facilities can save $15 billion over 10 years. Skanska's infographic spells it all out.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 29, 2016
How improving emergency department design leads to greater hospital efficiency
Efficient ED operations result in shorter wait times, quicker diagnosis and care plans, maximum utilization of high-cost human and physical resources, and overall better patient experiences and patient satisfaction scores, writes CBRE Healthcare's Curtis Skolnick.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 24, 2016
A symposium in New Jersey examines how a consolidating healthcare industry can better manage its excess real estate
As service providers position themselves closer to their communities, they are looking for ways to redirect non-core buildings and land for other purposes.
Senior Living Design | Apr 14, 2016
Creating a home for eldercare using the ‘Green House’ design concept
VOA Associates’ Douglas King offers design considerations in implementing the Green House concept in eldercare for continuing care retirement communities.
Adaptive Reuse | Apr 7, 2016
Redevelopment plan announced for Chicago’s historic Cook County Hospital
The century-old, Beaux Arts architecture-inspired hospital will transform into a mixed-use development.
Industry Research | Apr 7, 2016
CBRE provides latest insight into healthcare real estate investors’ strategies
Survey respondents are targeting smaller acquisitions, at a time when market cap rates are narrowing for different product types.
