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Veterans and government officials in the Rio Grande Valley have long argued that the region’s large and growing population of military veterans warrants the placement of a military hospital. Fortunately, however, veterans’ healthcare options in South Texas are improving, and we hope those improvements continue.
U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez last month sent a letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis R. McDonough repeating a request that has been made for decades. He noted that Texas has the largest veterans’ population in the country, and that the Valley’s population of more than 1.3 million people is expected to double by 2045.
That shortage of services has long forced many Valley veterans to endure long trips to the nearest VA hospitals in San Antonio the Houston hundreds of miles away, a tough trip for aging veterans with medical needs.
The VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System has been expanding its locations and services to help reduce the need many veterans to make those hours-long trips, and they are welcome. The system has placed and expanded clinics in Brownsville, Harlingen and McAllen, and the VA has contracted with Valley Baptist Healthcare System to help serve veterans’ needs within the Valley.
Still, as Gonzalez noted in his letter, the Valley already suffers a large and chronic shortage of healthcare services — a shortage that is expected to get worse — and veterans’ care will further strain the existing facilities.
“According to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, the Rio Grande Valley is projected to have the state’s greatest percentage of unmet demand for nurses and severe shortage of physicians by 2032,” he wrote.
“Additionally, I am aware and tracking ongoing lease disputes pertaining to VA clinics in my district and the local university, which if terminated, will disrupt care and the well-being of all veterans in South Texas,” Gonzalez wrote.
Still, the local VA system is doing what it can, recently beginning a rideshare service to help veterans reach local clinics. While some veterans no longer need to make the trip to San Antonio 300 miles away, some still need help getting to local facilities, and the VA Uber Health Connect Initiative helps meet those needs.
In addition, the system has announced the establishment of drive-thru food pantries at its Harlingen and McAllen clinics to further serve veterans. To receive commodities, vets must be enrolled in the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care system.
The system also operates the McAllen Vet Center to provide counseling and referrals to address veterans’ mental and emotional needs such as PTSD, homelessness and other issues. Veterans and their families should know about and use the center’s services whenever necessary.
Ideally, our government will reduce its penchant for injecting our military forces in unnecessary activities and reduce the incidence of service-related injuries and conditions. However, we always will need people to defend our country and interests, and veterans with healthcare needs that need to be addressed.
As we debate the need for a Valley VA hospital, it’s good to see that services are growing for Valley veterans.
