Treto Garza

HARLINGEN, Sept. 8 - We have learned that the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee will not be taking any action on our Senate Bill 699.

This bill submitted by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and cosponsored by U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison will die in committee. There is no activity that indicates that some action will be taken. So, for all practical purposes this bill is DEAD. We are assuming that House Bill 1232, a companion bill submitted by Congressman Solomon Ortiz, will suffer the same fate.
 
Now that we know that there is not going to be any action taken on our bills that are before the Veterans Affairs Committees, we now more than ever need to concentrate our efforts directly at the VA. We must change their mindset about the need of VA hospital for our area. For the past four decades Congress has been told that there are not enough veterans to sustain a VA hospital. They think that we are getting all the services that we need.

Veterans need to meet with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki and his deputies and convince them of the need. This can be done, but we need to meet them to present our point.

How can we impress on Secretary Shinseki of our need for a Veterans Affairs hospital for our area? Well, the Booz Allen Hamilton study will be very helpful. The Booz Allen Hamilton had recommended that if a hospital was going to constructed it should be a small one of 12 beds. But this recommendation was not followed through because further down it stated that there were not enough veterans "to sustain" a hospital. The study recommended that the VA provide these services via locally contracted private medical providers. This has already been implemented. The contracts signed require performance that the "offeror" shall provide VA access to all patient data and contract gather, used or stored as part of the "offeror's" VA operations. The information that has to be provided to the VA will be used for performance measurement.
 
Reports coming in under the new contract are indicating that a VA hospital would have enough veterans for it. The reports are using what is called an Average Daily Census (ADC) to document veterans being referred to these contract hospitals. These are actual figures and will be in the VA’s records. The ADC from April to November 2009 hovered around 25.39 (South Texas Health Systems’ was at 15.17 and Valley Baptist Health Systems’ was at 10.22.0). The latest figures that we have were up to July 2010 and the ADC was 33.7 (VBMC 13.7 and STHS 20.0). These numbers indicate to us that more veterans are using these contractual services. To us that means the veterans numbers have doubled. These numbers will continue to rise because veterans are feeling more comfortable going to the VA.
 
We must remember that these numbers mostly reflect local veterans from our area. This does not include veterans from Laredo, Zapata, Kingsville, Falfurrias, Alice, Corpus Christi and other areas covered by the new VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Services Network.  Those veterans are being sent to San Antonio. If a VA hospital is constructed here in the Rio Grande Valley they would be coming down here and/or have a choice.
 
Another sector of veterans that are anticipated to seek health care from the VA are those veterans that qualify for health services but have not applied for them. This is conjecture based on the recession fueling the surge on new veterans especially for the older Vietnam veterans. Vietnam veterans are coming forward and applying for benefits according to John Rowan, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America.
 
The new VA building in Harlingen can easily house a VA hospital. It would be the most cost efficient move on part of the VA. It is a "common sense" solution that we must present to the VA if and when we are allowed to meet with them. Harlingen would need to be the flagship hospital for the new VA district that will officially open in October.
 
We need to ask our two U.S. senators, our three local congressmen, our local state legislators, the Governor, Lt. Governor, and Texas Land Commissioner to do a full bench press and zero in on Secretary Shinseki to come to the Valley. All of them together asking for this meeting might make it happen. Secretary Shinseki is traveling throughout America visiting VA facilities. The Valley should be included in his itinerary.
 
Veterans, it can be done. But we must work together and start getting down to business and demand a VA hospital. There is a way.
 
Texas Land Board Commissioner
 
Veterans will be meeting with Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson on Oct. 8, 2010, in McAllen. This will be one of the first steps to get help from the Texas Legislature for monetary assistance in helping us make a VA hospital a reality. State Rep. Armando ‘Mando’ Martinez has been instrumental it making this meeting possible.
 
 
Veterans Enrollment Fair
 
On September 11, 2010, there will be a Veterans Enrollment Fair in Rio Grande City for all veterans in the Starr and Zapata area. All veterans that are not registered are asked to go and register. Veterans will be there to assist in the enrollment procedures. You must bring a copy of your DD 214.
 
Veterans Enrollment Fairs are important because they allow us to register more veterans so that we can prove to the VA that there is a need and enough veterans for a VA hospital. Spread the word on this upcoming event.
 
Motor Cycle Run
 
The recent Motor Cycle Run sponsored by the RGV Vets and Wounded Vets Foundation and South Texas Veterans for a VA Hospital was successful. It was conducted during the Labor Day Weekend and drew a good crowd. So, the news is getting out to the community that there is still a hard working movement to bring a VA hospital to the Valley. This weekend's event was to get the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans involved.
 
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS! SUPPORT OUR VETERANS! GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Treto Garza is co-chair of the Veterans Alliance of the Rio Grande Valley. A Vietnam War veteran and prolific writer on veterans' issues, Garza is a resident of Harlingen, Texas. His Veterans Voice column appears weekly in the Guardian.

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