Valley veterans welcome clinic expansion, remain intent on getting VA hospital

BROWNSVILLE -- Lawmakers still have a goal of bringing a veterans hospital to the Rio Grande Valley, but expansions to existing clinics will help meet veterans' needs in the meantime, U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, told local veterans Friday.

"A lot of progress has been made so far, and by taking these steps, we're documenting that we need a hospital," Ortiz said after a meeting with veterans in his Brownsville office. "And it will cut down on trips to San Antonio (to obtain care)."

Ortiz and representatives from South Texas Veterans Health Care System, which oversees the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facilities in the Valley, updated local veterans on plans to contract with local hospitals for inpatient care and further expand a veterans clinic in Harlingen.

The South Texas VA Health Care Center opened last year, offering additional services for veterans including audiology, dental care, mental health care, podiatry and physical therapy. Previously, many veterans had to travel to the Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital in San Antonio for these services.

By the end of this year, the Harlingen clinic will grow to about 45,000 square feet and will include cardiology, endocrinology, oncology, neurology, urology, orthopedics and gynecology, said Bill McLemore, congressional and veterans service organization liaison for the Heart of Texas Health Care Network, which includes most Texas VA facilities.

In addition, the VA is working on finalizing contracts with local hospitals to provide additional inpatient and outpatient care, officials said.

Until now, many Valley veterans had to go to San Antonio for hospital stays longer than three days, McLemore said.

Soon, the Valley veterans facilities - the Harlingen center and a McAllen clinic - will have their own director, rather than reporting to the South Texas system based in San Antonio, Ortiz confirmed.

"We'll also have our own budget," he said.

Veterans said they were grateful for the expansion of VA clinics here but haven't lost sight of their ultimate goal.

"We're very happy with the information we're receiving at this time, but we have to stay focused on a hospital," said Ray Molano, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America's Harlingen chapter.

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Melissa McEver covers health and environment issues for Valley Freedom Newspapers. She is based in Harlingen and you can reach her at (956) 430-6252.