Working to improve medical care for injured soldiers and war veterans, Congresswoman Kathy Castor announced today that federal funding is being directed to Tampa to support the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital and MacDill Air Force Base.

“These initiatives will improve the quality of life for veterans and their families at our nation’s busiest polytrauma hospital. At the same time, we are putting people to work, constructing parking lots and renovating buildings.”

Haley is in line for about $22 million. Nearly $10 million of that will help pay to renovate existing ward space into private rooms suitable for polytrauma patients – patients who suffered severe injuries serving our nation in Iraq and Afghanistan. The standard today in medical care is for patients to have their own rooms.

Haley also is slated to receive about $8.4 million to renovate and expand the Sterile Processing and Distribution service, which will make Haley more efficient. In addition, Haley is in line for more than $3 million to acquire land for, design and construct a new parking lot. The much-needed, 500-space parking lot will include security, lighting and a gated area. It will be located adjacent to the Haley VA. Patients and their families have long complained about cramped parking at Haley – the busiest of the nation’s four polytrauma hospitals.

Castor was joined by Dr. Edward Cutolo, Haley’s chief of staff, and Dr. Steven Scott, chief of physical medicine and rehabilitation services.

“This renovation is going to do wonders to improve the care we deliver,” Cutolo said of plans for the polytrauma unit. Added Scott: “We can give them the best hope to heal, the best hope to recover, the best hope to contribute back to this country again.”

For MacDill Air Force Base, Castor secured $384,000 for planning and design work for a new Mission Support Facility. Currently, personnel, family support, finance and traffic management services are scattered across the base and are located in old, cramped dormitories. A new, 30,000-square-foot building is planned and will serve as a one-stop location for military and civilian personnel and retirees. The new location will be easily accessible to active duty personnel and retirees.

Castor also applauds President Obama for directing $7 million to MacDill’s Child Development Center. MacDill plans to build a new facility to accommodate more children, thereby reducing the number of children on the waiting list. The Child Development Center provides high-quality childcare for military family.

“I am hopeful these funds will bring what veterans and their families deserve – world-class care, and a shot in the arm to our economy.”

“We appreciate the support as we improve the quality of life here on MacDill by building better facilities for our enlisted service members and filling our need for quality child care with the Child Development Center,” said Col. Larry Martin, 6^th air mobility wing commander. “This support also helps us by updating aging communications facilities. And it helps us prepare to improve mission support facilities for MacDill’s active duty, dependent and retired community.”

The funding is included in the FY 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, which was approved by the House on Friday.