Nassau County Presiding Officer Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury) recently joined Deputy Presiding Officer Roger Corbin (D-Westbury) to hold a special hearing before the Health and Human Services Committee for the purpose of determining a new location for the already-existing veterans clinic and the feasibility of building a second clinic to service veterans and returning soldiers from the Iraq War. Legislator Corbin is chairman of the Health Committee and a Vietnam veteran.

Several problems currently face Nassau's Veterans in search of health care. According to the County's Veterans Service Agency, there is an eight-month wait for those veterans seeking health services at the area's only clinic in Plainview. In addition, the county must relocation that clinic.

"An eight-month backlog for veterans seeking health care at the area's only clinic is unacceptable," said Presiding Officer Jacobs. "We have already begun to explore possible funding sources to build a second clinic in Nassau and I believe the time to upgrade services for our veterans is now."

While testifying before the committee, Richard Turan, chief executive officer of NUMC, offered to have the hospital provide the services and space needed by the main health clinic. In addition, he also said the hospital is prepared to provide a Veterans Medical Unit, rather than just a clinic.

"A clinic is not acceptable anymore, " he stated, adding that NUMC is prepared to offer veterans a unit with more diagnostic tools.

"We look forward to joining with the legislature to create this full service facility for the ¼ million veterans of Nassau County," Turan said.

The committee also heard testimony on the feasibility of providing a second veterans health clinic for Nassau's vets and also explored ways to assist military returning from the Iraq War.

According to Phillip Weiseroat of the Northport VA hospital, over the next 10 years there will be a 134 percent increase in need demand for health care among veterans.

Deputy Presiding Officer Corbin also called for a new help line to be established for returning soldiers to call where they can be directed to the proper resources, whether it is health services or other forms of assistance.

"The county must be prepared to a offer a host of services to those returning from war," Legislator Corbin said.

Others who testified at the hearing included Ed Aulman-Director of Nassau County Veterans Service Agency; Mitchell Sahn, Commissioner of Health & Human Services; George Lang, Nassau County's only Medal of Honor recipient; Colonel Yelleshpur Jayaram, of the US Army Medical Corps; Major David Wolf, U.S. Marines; Jack Stein, Commander of Nassau County Veterans of Foreign Wars; and Joe Slattery, Commander of American Legion of Nassau County.