Cheyenne VA
Health Care Construction Update

Construction UPDATE / COVID Booster / Rumor Control

Greetings Veteran Family,

I wanted to give you an update on the some current and future projects, COVID booster, and to squash a rumor about Veterans.

Pavement project at the Medical Center in Cheyenne...

The milling for the road was completed yesterday. The contractor began to identify soft spots in the road that require repairs. The soft spot repair will start today and should be completed early next week and paving will begin. I’m sure everyone has experience the joy of street paving at some time. For some background to help understand the process here is what the paving generally consists of.

Finishing the road consists of 5 steps: Prepare the Sub Base, Binder and Surface Course, Install New Asphalt Surface, Butt Joints and Transitions, Final Roll and Stripping. Preparing the Sub Base means stabilizing the surface to support the new pavement. In this case, it is repairing the soft spots. This process involves digging down below the surface 16 inches and installing a geo grid to bridge base materials together. This creates a solid support structure for new asphalt at a fraction of the cost of traditional undercutting. There were a few suspicious spots that were wetter than expected. This could indicate a leaking water pipe. If there is a leaking pipe we will be making a repair. This could possibly mean an extension of the project. I will know more once the digging starts.

Binder and Surface Course consists of large aggregate mixed with oil, making it very strong and durable. The binder layer can be thought of as the strength of any new asphalt surface. At this point people need to be aware not to walk across the road because you will get oil on you shoes and possibly clothing. If you enter the building with this material on your shoes you will make tracks on the floor and this material is difficult to remove making EMS’s job more difficult. Additionally, the smell of this material bothers some people.

Install New Asphalt Surface. Once the supportive structures of a new asphalt surface are installed, the top layer of fresh asphalt is added to provide a clean, smooth ride. Surface asphalt is made up of small aggregate, sand, and oil. Trucks will be bringing in this material once place a roller will spread out the material in order to cover the entire area. Please do not walk on this material for the same reason as the Binder and Surface Course.

Butt Joints and Transitions is where the contractor will make the transition between the old and new pavement and concrete to ensure that the grading and water run-off is appropriate. Butt joints are important to ensure drivers and pedestrians don’t notice a difference in the surfaces. 

Final Roll, Once the asphalt and butt joints have been laid, the entire surface is smoothed and compacted with a roller truck. This ensures no small bumps of aggregate or stone are left poking through the smooth new surface. 

Stripping is placing the traffic control paint on the asphalt.

The project is scheduled to be completed by next Friday (24 September).

Northern Colorado VA Outpatient Clinic

Services moving to the new clinic

• Primary Care Patient Aligned Care Team
• Mental Health
• Physical Therapy  - to include a new mobility garden
• Eye Clinic
• Laboratory
• Audiology – three sound booths
• Cardio Pulmonary – Echo, PFT, EKG & Home Oxygen
• Podiatry

New services at the new clinic

• Dental-Seven Dental Treatment Rooms
• Radiology-CT, Ultrasound and Two X-ray Rooms
• Pharmacy-Top 200 Medications
• Specialty Services-Ortho, MSK, ENT & Urology

The existing Loveland Clinic will remain open with some specialty services and Whole Health Services.

Please do not go on the construction site.

Cheyenne VA Emergency Department Expansion

• Currently in the design phase
• 6,885 sq foot expansion at the front of the hospital
• Construction estimated to begin in the Spring of 2024

Mental Health Acute Inpatient Unit and RRTP Expansion

• Eight bed acute inpatient mental health unit
• Six additional RRTP beds
• Design to begin in 2023 with estimated construction to begin in 2025

Community Living Center Phase II

• Currently in design phase, Construction expected to being in the Fall of 2023
• 25,000 sq foot addition, 2 story
• Small house style
• 1st floor will be dedicated as an 18 long term beds
• 2nd floor will be 12 hospice beds

Concept drawing:

COVID Booster

Here is the 20,000 ft view:

• At this time, additional doses for the mRNA vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer) are ONLY approved for patients with moderate to severe immunocompromise (this includes things like active cancer, organ transplant, HIV infection and patients taking medications that suppress the immune system like chemotherapy, high dose steroids or medications used for things like rheumatoid or autoimmune disorders). 
• Patients that self-attest to having this level or similar ailments that are considered equivalent to moderate to severe immunocompromise may also receive an additional dose
• Booster doses are not approved for the general population yet
• Additional and booster doses are not approved or recommended for patients that received the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine yet
• We are expecting updated guidance and recommendations on booster doses this Fall
• If you received and mRNA vaccine for your first 2 dose series and qualify for an additional dose, you should receive the same agent as your first 2 doses
• Cheyenne VA does not recommend walk-in visits for additional doses.  Our vaccine team is reaching out to patients that qualify and to those that have questions.  If you are unsure, please contact your PACT team MSA and they can direct your information to our vaccine team
• Cheyenne VA encourages walk-in vaccination visits for patients that still have not received their initial vaccine doses
• This includes all veterans, veteran spouses and veteran caregivers as these are covered under the Saves Lives Act
• If you have not received your Covid-19 vaccine, we encourage you to come get it done along with your flu vaccine.  These can be given together at the same visit.

Hopefully this will help clear up some confusion regarding the questions we have had coming in.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Rumor Control

COVID Vaccination is not required for VA care or benefits. This rumor was started by a satire news website. The article has a very provocative headline, but the article itself is clearly made up. On the website’s legal disclaimers, it admits to be a parody news site. None of that, of course, is clear and up front and you’d never know just by the name of the website. The rumor continues, nonetheless, to spread, so PLEASE--help us squash this bad rumor. 

Have a great day!

Sam House
samuel.house2@va.gov