HOUSTON – The Secretary of Veterans Affairs today praised Department health care workers who examined and comforted thousands of veterans evacuated from areas destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, staffed five mobile clinics in Louisiana and Mississippi, and readied thousands of beds in VA hospitals nationwide for those seeking refuge from the disaster.
“I thank our heroic staff who rescued these brave veterans,” said the Honorable R. James Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, who also thanked “the people of Houston for opening your hearts and homes to our great veterans.”
Nicholson, accompanied by Rep. Steve Buyer (R, Ind.,), chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, toured VA’s Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston and met with veterans and VA health care professionals assisting the evacuees.
“We are now focused on keeping our veterans safe and secure, adequately housed, and provided with good health care,’ the Secretary said.
Before flying to Houston, the first stop in a two-day trip to assess VA response to Hurricane Katrina in Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana, Nicholson attended a Cabinet meeting led by President Bush at the White House.
“President Bush is totally dedicated to helping those suffering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina,” Nicholson said. “We at VA must do our part, both for our veterans and others affected by the catastrophe.”
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