81R11790 MMS-D
By: Pena H.C.R. No. 86
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The men and women who have served in this nation's
armed forces are entitled to ready access to the best possible
medical care; and
WHEREAS, For the more than 100,000 veterans living in the Rio
Grande Valley, the nearest U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
hospital is in San Antonio, as much as 300 miles and a five-hour
trip away, and the lack of a VA hospital in the Valley has long
imposed great hardships on veterans in that region and on their
families; and
WHEREAS, Veterans requesting appointments at the facility in
San Antonio typically wait months to be seen, even for serious
conditions; for those who cannot drive themselves, or who cannot
afford to drive, van transportation is provided by veterans service
groups; the lengthy trip, however, adds to the patients' physical
distress; no ambulances are available to convey veterans to San
Antonio, which makes the journey especially difficult for those who
are bedridden; and
WHEREAS, Once veterans arrive in San Antonio, they often wait
hours for an appointment that may take only 15 minutes, or they may
find that their appointment has been canceled; they may also
discover that they need to stay overnight, which adds to the
time-consuming nature of their trip and to its expense; and
WHEREAS, For veterans who must go to San Antonio several
times a month, the time lost to travel can make it difficult to hold
a job; the demands of such a trip also place a great burden on family
members who have to take time off from work, and possibly arrange
for child care, to drive a veteran to San Antonio, and who may need
to make such trips for many years; the cost of gas and meals, in
addition to the expense of lodging, if that is required,
substantially exceeds the prescribed travel allowance; and
WHEREAS, The current facilities for veterans health care in
the Valley are manifestly inadequate; the VA presently operates
several outpatient clinics in the region, but these do not offer the
full range of services, including testing and therapy, available in
San Antonio; moreover, the VA has failed to pay the bills of many
veterans who have had to seek emergency care at a local hospital; in
addition, although there are plans to contract with area hospitals
to provide some inpatient veterans care, the medical personnel in
those facilities are unlikely to have the necessary expertise in
treating the injuries and psychological trauma sustained by combat
veterans; and
WHEREAS, In recent years, local veterans organizations have
formed the Veterans Alliance of the Rio Grande Valley to help raise
awareness of this issue; and
WHEREAS, Veterans who live in the Valley, veterans from out
of state who make their home in the Valley during the winter months,
and U.S. veterans who reside in Mexico all sorely need and clearly
deserve a fully staffed, full-service veterans hospital in far
South Texas; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby affirm its support for the establishment of a veterans
hospital in the Rio Grande Valley; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
the secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, to the
speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the
senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of the
Texas delegation to the Congress with the request that this
resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a
memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.