03-19759. Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) Commission; Notice of Public Hearings

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) gives notice under Public Law 92-463 (Federal Advisory Committee Act) that the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) Commission will be holding public hearings on the impact of the CARES draft national plan in the Veterans Integrated Services Networks (VISN) and Markets designated below. The hearings will be conducted at the locations, dates and times as follows:

Dates	VA sites	Hearing locations	Markets	VISN
August 12, 9:00 a.m.	Baltimore, MD	Marriott (Waterfront) Hotel, 700 Aliceanna Street, Baltimore, MD 21202	All Markets	5
August 12, 9:00 a.m.	Cleveland, OH	Intercontinental Hotel and Conference Center, Amphitheatre A and B, 9801 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106	Eastern	10
August 18, 9:00 a.m.	Leavenworth, KS	Leavenworth VA Medical Center Theatre, 4101 4th Street Trafficway, Leavenworth, KS 64068	Central West	15
August 19, 9:00 a.m.	Columbus, OH	Franklin County Veterans Memorial, 300 W. Broad Street, Auditorium, Columbus, OH 43215	Central Western	10
August 20, 1:00 a.m.	Fort Wayne, IN	Indiana Wesleyan University Conference Center, 8211 Jefferson Boulevard, Ft. Wayne, IN 46804	Indiana Central Illinois	11
August 20, 9:00 a.m.	Poplar Bluff, MO	Black River Coliseum, 301 South 5th Street, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901	East	15
August 22, 9:00 a.m.	Detroit, MI	John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, 4646 John R Street, Room B-1290, Detroit, MI 48201	Michigan	11
August 22, 9:00 a.m.	Muskogee, OK	Muskogee VA Medical Center Auditorium, 1011 Honor Heights Drive, Muskogee, OK 74401	Upper Western	16
August 25, 10:00 a.m.	Bedford, MA	Wyndham Billerica Hotel, 270 Concord Road, Billerica, MA 01862	All Markets	1
August 26, 10:00 a.m.	Biloxi, MS	Va Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System, Recreation Hall Building 17, 400 Veterans Avenue, Biloxi, MS 39531	Central Southern Eastern Southern	16
August 27, 10:00 a.m.	Pittsburgh, PA	VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Highland Drive Division, 7180 Highland Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15206	Western	4
August 27, 1:00 p.m.	Shreveport, LA	Shreveport VA Medical Center, Education Center, 510 E. Stoner Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71101	Central Lower	16
August 28, 10:00 a.m.	Coatesville, PA	VA Medical Center, 1400 Blackhorse Hill Road, Coatesville, PA 19320	Eastern	4
August 28, 1:00 p.m.	Atlanta, GA	VA Medical Center, 1670 Clairmont Road, Pete Wheeler Auditorium, Room GA 104, Decatur, GA 30033	Alabama Georgia	7
September 3, 9:00 a.m.	Minneapolis, MN	VA Medical Center, One Veterans Drive, Building 70, Room Auditorium, 1S-126, Minneapolis, MN 55417	Minnesota N. Dakota S. Dakota	23
September 4, 1:00 p.m.	Omaha, NE	Holiday Inn Central, 3321 S. 72nd Street, Palace G, Omaha, NE 68124	Nebraska Iowa	23
September 8, 10:00 a.m.	Charleston, SC	Elks Lodge 242, 1113 Sam Rittenberg Boulevard, Charleston, SC 29407	South Carolina	7
September 8, 9:00 a.m.	Lexington, KY	Marriott Griffin Gate Resort, Grand Ball Room, 1800 Newtown Pike, Lexington, KY 40511	Northern	9
September 10, 9:00 a.m.	Nashville, TN	Nashville Convention Center, 601 Commerce Street, Hearing Room 108-109, Nashville, TN 37203	Central Eastern Western	9
September 10, 9:00 a.m.	Orlando, FL	Adam's Mark Hotel, Florida Mall, 1500 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32809	All Markets	8
September 12, 10:00 a.m.	Durham, NC	Durham Marriott at the Civic Center, 201 Foster Street, Durham, NC 27701	All Markets	6
September 15, 1:00 p.m.	Lyons, NJ	VA New Jersey Healthcare System (Lyons Campus), Building 143—Multipurpose Room, 151 Knollcroft Road, Lyons, NJ 07939	New Jersey	3
September 17, 1:00 p.m.	Bronx, NY	VA Medical Center, Main Hospital—Room 3D-22 (3rd Floor), 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468	Long Island Metro New York	3
September 18, 9:00 a.m.	El Paso, TX	El Paso VA Health Care System, Soldiers Hall, Building 2, Fort Bliss, TX 79916	New Mexico/West Texas	18
September 19, 1:00 p.m.	Prescott, AZ	Northern Arizona VA Healthcare System, 500 Hwy 89N, Building 15 Theatre, Prescott, AZ 86313	Arizona	18
September 19, 1:00 p.m.	Syracuse, NY	MARX Hotel & Conference Center, 701 East Genesee Street, Syracuse, NY 13210	All Markets	2
September 22, 1:00 p.m.	Denver, CO	VA Medical Center, 1055 Clermont Street, Denver, CO 80220	Western Rockies Grand Junction Eastern Rockies	19
September 24, 1:00 p.m.	Billings, MT	Holiday Inn Grand Montana, 5500 Midland Road, Billings MT 59101	Montana Wyoming Sheridan	19
September 26, 10:00 a.m.	Las Vegas, NV	Hyatt Regency Lake Las Vegas, 101 Montelago Boulevard, Henderson, NV 89011	Nevada (South Central)	22
September 26, 9:00 a.m.	Portland, OR	VA Medical Center, Vancouver Threatre Building C-6, 1601 E. Fourth Plain Boulevard, Vancouver, WA 98661	So. Cascade Inland South Alaska	20
September 29, 10:00 a.m.	Long Beach, CA	VA Long Beach Healthcare System, 5901 E. 7th Street, Long Beach, CA 90822	California (Southern)	22
September 29, 9:00 a.m.	Walla Walla, WA	Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA, Medical Center Theater, Building 78, 77 Wainwright Drive, Walla Walla, WA 99362	W. Washington Inland North	20
October 1, 10:00 a.m.	Palo Alto, CA	Va Palo Alto Healthcare System, Auditorium, Building 101, 3801 Miranda Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304	North Coast South Coast Pacific Island	21
October 1, 1:00 p.m.	San Antonio, TX	Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, 200 E. Street, San Antonio, TX 78205	South Valley Coastal Bend	17
October 2, 10:00 a.m.	Sacramento, CA	Garden Pavilion, Operated by LionsGate Hotel at McClellan Park, 5640 Dudley Boulevard, McClellan, CA 95652	North Valley South Valley Sierra Nevada	21
October 3, 1:00 p.m.	Dallas, TX	Dallas VA Medical Center, Community Center, 4500 S. Lancaster Rd., Dallas, Texas 75216	North Central	17
* Veterans Integrated Service Network.

The purpose of the Commission is to conduct an external assessment of VA's capital asset needs. The Commission will consider recommendations prepared for the CARES draft national plan, and the views and concerns of veterans service organizations, individual veterans, Congress, medical school affiliates, VA employees, local government entities, community groups and others. Following its assessment, the Commission will make specific recommendations to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs regarding the realignment and allocation of capital assets necessary to meet the demands for veterans health care.

Interested persons in the general public may observe the hearings and/or file written statements with the Commission regarding the impact of the draft national plan in the markets designated to be covered at each hearing. Written statements may be filed either before the hearing or within 7 days after the hearing. These statements may be addressed to Mr. Richard D. Larson, Executive Director, CARES Commission, (OOCARES), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20480; or faxed to [phone]; or submitted electronically to http://www.carescommission.va.gov. Where applicable, written statements should indicate that they are submitted regarding a specific hearing. Such statements will be given a weight equal to testimony provided at the Commission hearings. Any member of the public wishing additional information should contact Ms. Janice Sloan at the Commission, at [phone].

Dated: July 29, 2003.

By Direction of the Secretary.

E. Philip Riggin,

Committee Management Officer.