NEW ANNA CENTER BECOMES REALITY FOR ILLINOIS VETERANS

ANNA, Ill.-- The Anna Veterans Center, on the drawing board a number of years and under construction the past two years, has become a reality.

The veterans center, which opened in late August with two residents, accepted its 10th veteran Friday.

The center, located on 16 acres of land east of the Clyde L. Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center, is a 62-bed facility, which includes a 50-bed skilled nursing center.

Twelve beds are for veterans who can live more independently.

Also included in the facility are a television room and resident lounge, dining-multipurpose rooms and rooms for physical and rehabilitative therapy, dining and dental care.

Joan Livengood of Marion, Ill., is administrator of the new facility.

Livengood, a registered nurse, has been in health care more than 20 years. She previously served as administrator for a 250-bed hospital.

"We have a list of 15 approved applications," she said. "Some are in other facilities, some are at home."

The new center makes it more convenient for Southern Illinois veterans to get care. Before it opened the Quincy Veteran's Center was Illinois' most southern veterans facility.

"This is a great facility for Southern Illinois veterans and for the area's economy," said Gov. Jim Edgar.

Edgar attended the recent official grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"No longer will veterans have to travel long distances from their family and friends to receive the nursing care and medical attention they need," he said.

In addition, the privately operated facility is providing jobs for men and women in an area where unemployment is well above the state average.

Union County has an unemployment rate of near 9 percent, compared to the statewide rate of 6.1 percent.

The center is being operated by Diversified Health Services, a subsidiary of the Illinois-based ServiceMasters, which operates more than 100 long-term health-care facilities in 27 states.

The company has already hired 28 workers, the majority of them from the immediate Southern Illnois area. As more veterans are admitted, the employment total will increase.

Statistics show there are more than 71,000 veterans living in Southern Illinois, and many veterans will be older than 70 by the year 2000.

The state also supports veteran homes at Quincy, Manteno and LaSalle.

Officials say that because of the proximity of three major wars -- World War II, the Korean conflict, and the war in Vietnam -- the need for nursing care for veterans is expected to increase over the next two decades.