U.S. Rep Kevin Brady Celebrates VA Clinic Anniversary in Conroe

CONROE, TX -- U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady and Francisco Vazquez, director of the Michael DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, celebrated the one year anniversary of the opening of the VA Outpatient Clinic in Conroe Friday.

More than 100 people from local veterans groups, were there for the event and to hear about future plans for growth for the medical new facility.

“Our community came together many years ago to seek and try and develop a VA clinic for veterans living north of Houston...and to their credit, the VA jumped right in to help us and bring this clinic to our community,” Brady said. “And as we predicted, it was full on nearly day one. It has been a remarkable year.”

Brady said in the short time the clinic has been open, the region has begun to see the need for an expansion of services, and plans to expand by an additional 3,000 square feet to accommodate a facility that will provide dental care to disabled veterans who qualify.

“The VA in the Houston region has just been awesome to work with,” Brady said. “They never stop looking to see where that next service can be and that next space that can open.”

Maureen Dyman, communications director for the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in downtown Houston, said the expansion is still the planning process

“We are still looking at what we need,” she said. “The priority for us right now is dental services...so that is where we are looking first. I think that will be huge for our patients out here.”

Dyman said that the VA could also focus on bringing other critical services to the veterans in this region, but that those needs will be studied.

Meanwhile, Dyman said the VA will likely make a firm announcement on the final plans for expansion in early 2017.

In recent years, the growing number of military veterans from recent conflicts, as well as the aging veteran population from Vietnam and Desert Storm has spurred the Veteran’s Administration to accommodate those veterans and provide care without the need to drive to the hospital downtown, only to wait for hours, and at times an entire day, to see a doctor or medical practioner.

In 2013, the VA began opening new outpatient clinics in communities in the Greater Houston area, starting with Katy and Tomball, followed by Conroe in 2015.

The clinics, which are called Community Based Outpatient Clinics, or CBOCS, provide critical services to veterans, such as basic care, flu shots, vision and hearing tests, and lab work and other tests without the prospect of having to drive into downtown for basic care.

“We have some really great people serving our veterans and I hear this in our community all the time,” Brady said. “We know that what you do here isn’t just a job, it’s a calling and we know that many of you here are veterans yourself, we know you work hard for our veterans to give them care, and it takes a special person to do that.”

Image: Bryan Kirk, Patch Staff