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Florida’s 7th Veterans’ Nursing Home Site One Step Closer To Receiving Final Approval

Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs

St. Lucie County is one step closer to becoming the next site for Florida’s newest veterans’ nursing home. That’s after several counties lobbied members of a select panel considering the next location to build the state’s seventh VA nursing home.

Over the past several months, the selection process was narrowed down from ten counties to six. And, Tuesday, the remaining counties in the running gave presentations about why the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs Site Selection and Planning Committee should select their area as the next location for the state’s next veterans’ nursing home. And, according to the preliminary results, St. Lucie got the top spot.

“We have over 280,000 veterans in our service area, and we believe we’re the only proposed site that doesn’t have one existing nursing home within its five-mile radius. So, there’s a gap that needs to be filled,” said Wayne T. Gardens, the St. Lucie county's veterans manager, who spoke on the county's behalf.

The next step is for Governor Rick Scott and the rest of the Florida Cabinet to okay the site on August 19th.  Florida currently has state veterans’ nursing homes in six counties, including Volusia, Pasco, and Bay areas. It also includes Charlotte, St. Johns, and Broward counties.

The state’s overall plan is to build four more nursing homes within the next eight to ten years. Florida has the nation's third largest veterans population.

For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner.

Sascha Cordner has more than ten years of public radio experience. It includes working at NPR member station WUFT-FM in Gainesville for several years. She's worked in both radio and TV, serving in various capacities as a reporter, producer and anchor. She's also a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications. She is the recipient of 15 awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and Edward R. Murrow. Her award-winning stories include her coverage on the infamous “Dozier School for Boys” and a feature titled "Male Breast Cancer: Lost in the Sea of Pink." Currently, Sascha serves as the host and producer of local and state news content for the afternoon news program "All Things Considered" at WFSU. Sascha primarily covers criminal justice and social services issues. When she's not reporting, Sascha likes catching up on her favorite TV shows, singing and reading. Follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter:@SaschaCordner.