STUDY AND REPORT ON FEASIBILITY OF COORDINATION OF VETERANS HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN SOUTH CAROLINA WITH NEW UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER.

SEC. 232. STUDY AND REPORT ON FEASIBILITY OF COORDINATION OF VETERANS HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN SOUTH CAROLINA WITH NEW UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER.(a) Study Required.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a study to examine the feasibility of coordination by the Department of Veterans Affairs of its needs for inpatient hospital, medical care, and long-term care services for veterans with the pending construction of a new university medical center at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.(b) Matters To Be Included in Study.—(1) As part of the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consider the following:(A) Integration with the Medical University of South Carolina of some or all of the services referred to in subsection 117 STAT. 2053 (a) through contribution to the construction of that university’s new medical facility or by becoming a tenant provider in that new facility.(B) Construction by the Department of Veterans Affairs of a new independent inpatient or outpatient facility alongside or nearby the university’s new facility.(2) In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider the degree to which the Department and the university medical center would be able to share expensive technologies and scarce specialty services that would affect any such plans of the Secretary or the university.(3) In carrying out the study, the Secretary shall especially consider the applicability of the authorities under section 8153 of title 38, United States Code (relating to sharing of health care resources between the Department and community provider organizations), to govern future arrangements and relationships between the Department and the Medical University of South Carolina.(c) Consultation With Secretary of Defense.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall consult with the Secretary of Defense in carrying out the study under this section. Such consultation shall include consideration of establishing a Department of Veterans Affairs-Department of Defense joint health-care venture at the site referred to in subsection (a).(d) Report.—Not later than April 15, 2004, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the results of the study. The report shall include the Secretary’s recommendations with respect to coordination described in subsection (a), including recommendations with respect to each of the matters referred to in subsection (b).