95 Percent of Drives to San Antonio Eliminated
WASHINGTON – A new Health Care Center in Harlingen announced today by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will vastly improve care to Valley veterans in South Texas, eliminating the vast majority of trips required by veterans to VA medical facilities in San Antonio. The plans will provide a new VA health care center on the campus of the University of Texas in Harlingen.
The announcement, which came after an independent study on the future needs of Valley veterans requested by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, included plans to expand services by VA health care facilities in McAllen and Corpus Christi.
“Once completed, the new health care center in Harlingen will eliminate about 95 percent of the trips our veterans currently have to make to San Antonio for medical services,” said Bill Feeley, VA’s Deputy Under Secretary of Health for Operations and Management. “This plan will allow us to start providing specialty services to Valley area veterans this year, with even more expansion of services next year.”
The plans call for increasing the current VA health facility space in Harlingen from 11,700 square feet to nearly 160,000 square feet by 2010. The expansion will begin immediately, with space tripling VA’s current space in Harlingen from 11,700 square feet to nearly 35,000 square feet by December 2007, and then to nearly 56,000 square feet by December 2008.
When the facility is completed, it will provide a full range of expanded services in collaboration with the University of Texas Regional Academic Health Center, including:
- Specialty and diagnostic services, such as pharmacy, digital x-rays, CT scans, MRIs and other services; and
- Outpatient surgeries, such as cataract removals, diagnostic colonoscopies and prostate biopsies, supported by outpatient operating rooms.
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To obtain a copy of the independent study of the health care needs of Valley veterans, please go to this Internet address: http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/docs/stv-cbm.pdf
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Reporters and media outlets with questions or comments should contact the Office of Media Relations at vapublicaffairs@va.gov
Veterans with questions about their health care and benefits (including GI Bill). Questions, updates and documents can be submitted online.
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