VA Butler opens new living center
BUTLER TWP — After more than 12 years of wrangling with Congress and construction work, the VA Butler Healthcare's new Community Living Center is open.
Nursing home patients moved from hospital floors to the single-level center Tuesday night.
A party atmosphere took over the center Wednesday with a visit from Michael Moreland, director of the VISN 4, the VA district that includes this facility.
Moreland served as Butler's executive director from 1997 to 2000.
“First I would like to thank the veterans in attendance who gave their service to ensure our freedom,” he said to a round of applause.
“When I left here, the one thing I could tell you is that the way we did things then, would not be the way we do things in the future, and all you have to do is to look at this campus to see that I was right,” Moreland said.
Besides opening the center, the campus is undergoing almost a complete renovation with construction of residential homeless units and plans for an off campus health care center.
“It's all a good change,” Moreland said.
Chester Pokusa, originally of New Kensington and a nursing home patient, spoke on behalf of the center residents, saying thank you to the VA administrators and health care staff.
“From our hearts we say thank you,” he said, then he helped to cut the ceremonial ribbon to open the facility.
Pokusa served in the 3rd Army, 90th Division Infantry under Gen. George Patton during the D-Day Invasion. He was wounded twice and received two Purple Hearts.
“This place is wonderful, and I feel very honored to have been able to participate today,” Pokusa said.
Visitors must be buzzed in one door at a time to go through the two doors that make up the entrance to the center because some of the patients have dementia.
There are 30 single rooms with private, wheelchair accessible bathrooms, including showers that patients can be wheeled directly into.
In the hallway in front of each room is large shadowbox-like shelving where a profile of each patient is posted, including military service branch, family, hobbies, and possibly a picture or two of the patient.
The 30 rooms are grouped into pods of five beds each with a nurses station, a dining/lounge area with television and vending machines, and a private dining area, so patients can have quiet meals with their families.
There also is a special whirlpool tub in a separate room where patients can get spa time with aroma therapy and heated towels.
An atrium is under construction that will be open to patients.
Also, initial funding for 30 more beds has been approved by the VA, with final approval for that addition expected to come in January.
