Texas VA receives new Mobile Medical Units

Texas Valley Coastal Bend VA recently held a series of open houses throughout the Rio Grande Valley to introduce its two new Mobile Medical Units to Veterans, family members and the community.

Texas Valley Coastal Bend VA will use these 30-foot vehicles to reach Veterans living in remote or distant areas, have limited access to health care, or for those may not have sought needed care and services for various reasons at permanent VA facilities.

With open houses in Port Isabel, Falfurrias, Rio Grande City, Zapata, Rockport, Alice, and Carrizo Springs, flu vaccines for Veterans and VA benefits information were also available at each stop.

Shared information about Mobile Units with community

“Connecting with our Veterans and the community is an integral component of the VA mission,” said acting public affairs officer Hugo Martinez. “During these events, we celebrated our Veterans and their families, as well as connected with our community to share information about the services we provide and the new Mobile Medical Units.”

VA’s Mobile Medical Units are outfitted to deliver primary care, women’s health, audiology, laboratory and telehealth services. Each unit, outfitted with a wheelchair lift, is a telehealth-ready vehicle with two patient areas complete with exam room tables and a blood draw area.

It also has a triage area with medical testing equipment, a generator, a refrigerator for medical use, a lavatory and a pressurized water system.

Mobile units up and running days after hurricane

VA has used Mobile Medical Units to provide service continuity during emergencies when permanent sites of care are disabled or insufficient to meet the demand for health care services. Units were deployed as part of VA’s recovery efforts during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 2017 in Texas and Louisiana.

Beaumont, Texas, was one of the areas hit hardest by flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey. “Mobile Medical Units from areas like Big Spring and Dallas, Texas, and from Jackson, Mississippi, were up and running in Beaumont in a matter of days. They provided our patients with much needed primary and mental health care,” said Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center Director Frank Vazquez.

Veterans interested in receiving primary care through a Mobile Medical Unit operated by the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System are asked to call 1-855-864-0516.