New Veterans surgical center to open February 25 2011
By Treto Garza
Texas Insider Report: HARLINGEN Texas The VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health System (TVCBHS) is making final plans for their much anticipated Ribbon Cutting ceremonies to be held at the new surgical center at 2601 Veterans Drive Harlingen TX on February 25 2011. Events start at 11:00 a.m.
TVCBHS is the newly created health care system that will in charge of providing health care services to the 20 southmost counties in south Texas. It was formally organized in October of last year. It will have its own budget and will be part of the Veterans Initiative Network 17 (VIN 17) which is under the direction of Lawrence Biro. There are plans to renovate clinics in McAllen Corpus Christi and Laredo. The new Ambulatory and Out Patient Specialty Surgical Center will be an expansion of the Harlingen VA Outpatient Clinic located a block away. Jeff Milligan is the director of the new system.
The event is being heralded as a Historical Veterans Event. South Texas veterans have been advocating for a full service medical center for the area for the past six decades. World War II veterans asked for one when they returned from war. They were later joined by Korea War veterans. The Vietnam veterans picked up the slack and have been carrying the issue forward. Recently veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan have joined up with the cause.
Texas two senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn along with U S Congressman Henry Cuellar have been instrumental in getting funds from the Veterans Affairs for this expansion. During the last three legislative sessions Senator Cornyn and ex-Congressman Solomon Ortiz have filed bills to create a full service medical center for the south Texas area. There is an estimated 115000 veterans in the identified sector.
Special Guests expecting to attend this Historical Veteran Event are:
Dr. Robert A. Petzel Under Secretary for Health Department of Veterans Affairs (VA);
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison;
Congressmen Henry Cuellar Ruben Hinojosa and Blake Farenthold;
Dr. Franciso Cigarroa Chancellor University of Texas System
Lt. Gen Eric Shinseki Secretary of Veterans Affairs was scheduled to attend but he will be represented by Dr. Petzel. Veterans had been calling for his participation in order to meet with him. Veterans will try to meet with Dr. Petzel during his visit.
The 120000 square foot Ambulatory and Out Patient Specialty Surgical Health Care Center is the newest addition to the VATVCBHCS fleet of health care facilities in Corpus Christi Harlingen Laredo and McAllen. A full range of outpatient services including six surgical suites colonoscopy and cystocopy suites medicine and surgery specialty outpatient clinics prosthetics care amputee clinic and a substance abuse treatment clinic will be offered. The design includes a 750-vehicle parking garage adjacent to the Center.
This expansion has been called Phase I of a two Phase plan leading to the creation of a full medical center that will serve as the flagship hospital for TVCBHS. Veterans are seeing part of their dream come true. The public is invited to attend the event.
