AMERICAN GI FORUM OF THE UNITED STATES
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE to all media entities and politicos
JUST IN FROM THE AMERICAN GI FORUM NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS DIRECTOR (JOE A ORTIZ):
Good morning,
This is good news for all the veterans in south Texas, the clinic is being
expanded to offer more services.
***VA Announces Heath Care Center in Harlingen*
***95 Percent of Drives to San Antonio Eliminated *
WASHINGTON (August 20, 2007) – 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.
# # #
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
CONTACT:
Joe A. Ortiz
3718 Mendenhall
Corpus Christi, TX 78415
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(361) 510-6406 (361) 855-1925
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*Press Release Courtesy of Kenedeno & Associates*
