According to VA officials, it’s down to two sites — one owned by Howard Arnaiz near San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp, and one that’s owned by Fritz Grupe but is currently leased to the California State University, Stanislaus, in the heart of Stockton.
Though a final decision won’t be released for a few months, VA officials said this week, it’s clear to us what the smart call is — put the clinic in French Camp.
This site has a long list of pluses: it meets the VA’s desire to own the land and build both an outpatient clinic and a skilled nursing facility; it’s centrally located in the county and Central Valley; it’s near Interstate 5 and a connector to Highway 99, so it’s easily accessible to valley travelers; and it would integrate seamlessly with the existing hospital.
Even though San Joaquin General has its own problems — county supervisors this week decided to break away the hospital, which is mired in red ink, from the county’s health agency — putting the veterans clinics right next door can only be a good thing.
Plus, it would be a bad move for the long-term health of our region to build near Stanislaus State in Stockton — if anything, the county would benefit from the continued expansion and strengthening of local higher education opportunities.
Several county officials have also told us they support the French Camp location, for the reasons listed above. Even Rep. Jerry McNerney has long pushed the VA to make French Camp the location for the clinic.
From our vantage point, it all makes for a commonsense decision facing the Veterans Administration: Build the new veterans health care clinics in French Camp.
The county bus service does not have extended service to French Camp. They should put it in Tracy if they want to push it that far out of Stockton.
I don't know what Jerry was thinking when he decided this one?