Posted on Feb 24, 2015
Special to The Laredo Sun

Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX28) announced the expansion of new health care services at the Laredo VA Outpatient Clinic on Tuesday. The new services feature the option for in-patient hospital stays for the first time in history, thanks to a partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Laredo Medical Center and community physicians through TriWest. The Laredo VA Outpatient Clinic has additional plans to expand inpatient services to other medical facilities in the Laredo area in the near future.

Additionally, the Laredo VA Outpatient Clinic is expanding available services onsite to include two new primary care doctors, a dental hygienist and dental assistant, an on-board EMS, police, radiology, and laboratory work.

The historic additions mean South Texas veterans will no longer have to spend hours traveling to San Antonio and back to get the services they need, a welcome improvement that means less travel time and expenses, and more time for local vets to spend in other areas of their lives like spending time with their families.

“Bringing these services to Laredo-area veterans has been a priority of mine since I was first elected over 10 years ago, and I’m so pleased to see what once was just an idea to improve the quality of life for this area’s veterans has come to fruition,” Congressman Cuellar said. “The ability for veterans seeking medical care to have access to in-patient and overnight care, in addition to a host of other new services and benefits, right here in Laredo means better care, closer to home–the very least we can give our veterans in return for their service.”

“We are very happy with this partnership between the Laredo Medical Center, TriWest, and the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System, and look forward to continue to improve access to care for our Veterans in the Laredo area,” said Robert Walton, Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs Texas Valley Coastal Bend.

“Laredo Medical Center is honored to be the first authorized medical center in Webb County to provide in-patient, ER, and advanced outpatient and diagnostic services for our heroes,” said Enrique Gallegos, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer, LMC. “Our Veterans served our country and fought for the freedom we all enjoy. This is our opportunity to serve them by ensuring they have access to the first-class healthcare they deserve here at home. They’ve certainly earned this privilege and LMC is proud to be their hospital of choice.”

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