Hutchison and Cornyn Ask for Action on VA Hospital in Valley

UNITED STATES SENATE

For Immediate Release Media Contact: Lisette Mondello
May 10, 2010 (202) 224-9767
Kevin McLaughlin
(202) 224-0704

Hutchison and Cornyn Ask for Action on VA Hospital in Valley
Senators Tell VA Secretary That Inpatient Care for Valley Vets Needed

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) called on Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to add inpatient facilities to the existing and already expanding South Texas VA Health Care Center in Harlingen.

“While I applaud the VA for increasing outpatient services for our Valley veterans through the expansion of the Harlingen VA health center, the need for inpatient facilities for this growing population of veterans must be addressed. Veterans living in the Rio Grande Valley should not have to travel five hours or more to San Antonio for hospital treatments. The time is right to make the South Texas VA hospital a reality,” said Sen. Hutchison, Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee.

“From the first world war to today’s ongoing military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, South Texas continues to send their finest to the front lines. These veterans have made enormous sacrifices for our nation, and it is unacceptable that any of these brave men and women have to drive long distances to access high-quality health care. I am committed to securing adequate, local health care for these men and women to whom we owe our gratitude and full support,” said Sen. Cornyn.

The full text of Senators Hutchison and Cornyn’s letter to Secretary Shinseki is below.

The Honorable Eric Shinseki
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20420

Dear Secretary Shinseki:

We write today out of continued concern for the lack of adequate VA inpatient health care services available to veterans in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas and to ask for your support. There are currently an estimated 100,000 veterans living in this region without adequate access to a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. Based on current enlistment rates in the Valley and the increasing number of veterans choosing to retire in South Texas, this population of veterans will continue to grow.

For the most part, we have been very pleased with the VA’s expansion thus far of the Harlingen clinic to provide a broad range of outpatient care to area veterans, as well as its partnering with high-quality private inpatient hospitals in the region. These have certainly been welcome and significant improvements for the veterans of South Texas, who have waited far too long for the quality health care they have earned through their service. However, additional steps are required to fully address the health care shortfall for these veterans, particularly in the area of inpatient health care.

A number of veterans in the Rio Grande Valley are still forced to drive five hours or more to receive inpatient care at VA facilities in San Antonio or elsewhere. These heroes deserve, and their service demands, that we do more to properly care for them when inpatient care is required.

We believe the solution to this problem is simple and straightforward: adding new inpatient care facilities to the existing South Texas VA Health Care Center in Harlingen. We request your support for this common-sense approach.

Momentum continues to build in the movement to bring a new VA hospital to the Rio Grande Valley. Numerous state and local government officials and community leaders in the surrounding area have joined in strong support of this effort. We remain hopeful that you will support it as well. Thank you for your service on behalf of America’s veterans.

Sincerely,

KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON JOHN CORNYN
U.S. Senator U.S. Senator