VA adds mental health care annex in Oxnard

June 08--OXNARD, Calif. -- Vietnam War veteran Larry Garrett understands the need for the Veterans Affairs mental health care annex revealed in a ceremony Monday in Oxnard.

"There are still a lot of vets fighting things," said Garrett, 64, of Oxnard, including himself in that group. He receives counseling, much of it rooted in his service in the war more than 40 years ago.

"A lot of memories of what happened over there and what I had to do," he said, explaining a condition diagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Some memories I don't even know if they're true or not."

The new annex is designed to augment the crowded, small VA outpatient clinic, located in the same complex. Dedicated to PTSD and other mental health issues, the 4,400 square feet of leased space is aimed at making care easier for veterans and whittling down wait times that more than a year ago routinely exceeded 40 days.

The expansion comes in a county with more than 40,000 veterans. Officials say the demand for care has increased more at the Oxnard outpatient clinic than anywhere else in the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.

A ribbon-cutting on Monday marked the new site's grand opening, though appointments in the annex started last week.

Officials said the new space signifies improvements that also includes mental health staff doubled over little more than a year and the continued whittling of wait times.

Data compiled by The Associated Press showed about 3 percent of the appointments for all care at the Oxnard clinic from September to February involved delays of more than 30 days, exceeding the VA's standard. In April, that number fell to just under 2 percent, according to government records.

Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Westlake Village, who has been pushing to expand VA services, cited the need for more improvements.

"This is a short-term solution," she said of the mental health annex.

The VA plans to open what officials call a bridge facility later this year, housing primary care and mental health facilities. It's expected to be about twice as big as the current Oxnard patient clinic and the mental health annex combined.

The bridge facility is intended to lead in the next few years to a new freestanding VA health center. That complex would dwarf the current Oxnard facilities and consume more than 47,000 square feet. It would provide services ranging from pharmacy to prosthetics in an expansion aimed at reducing the need of veterans to travel to Los Angeles for care.

President Barack Obama included $6.3 million in 2016 for the center in his budget. The complex would likely be leased and total costs over the lifetime of the lease are estimated at $570 million.

Brownley expressed optimism the new center will come but cited issues including budget approval from Congress.

"We have hurdles to get over," she said.

At the ribbon cutting, veterans advocates talked about other issues, including turnover of doctors and other outpatient clinic staff in Oxnard. They said the turnover makes it hard for veterans.

"They see a doctor for six or eight months and they (the doctors) are gone," said Mike McManus, Ventura County veteran services officer.

VA officials acknowledged the turnover issues and said they're trying to accelerate the recruiting process.

"There's doctor turnover everywhere in America," said David Holt, associate director for ambulatory care for the VA's Los Angeles region. "The VA is no different."

But advocates also noted the mental health opening is the latest in a chain of events, including an April visit to Oxnard by Secretary Robert A. McDonald, leader of the nationwide VA. They said the attention and the achievements inspire hope about the fate of the freestanding health center included in the president's proposed budget.

"I think we have the momentum to make it happen," said Kim Evans, executive director of the Ventura County Military Collaborative. "This is our chance now."

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