Letter to The Honorable Eric Shinseki, Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Letter

Today U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki in support of expanding the existing VA clinic in Lubbock at a new facility on Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center land:

"An expanded caseload and demand for additional services, such as mental health care, necessitate an expansion of the Lubbock VA Clinic," Sen. Cornyn wrote.

"The benefits of this proposal are clear, as co-location of the VA clinic near a major medical academic center and a county hospital would provide veterans with easy access to additional services they do not currently have at the Lubbock VA Clinic."

Below is the full text of Sen. Cornyn's letter to Sec. Shinseki:

August 30, 2012
The Honorable Eric Shinseki
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20420

Dear Secretary Shinseki:

I write in support of the Amarillo VA Health Care System's proposal for an expanded VA clinic in Lubbock, Texas.

It is my understanding that the lease for the current facility housing the Lubbock VA Clinic expires in 2015, and that the Amarillo VA Health Care System has determined that an expanded caseload and demand for additional services, such as mental health care, necessitate an expansion of the Lubbock VA Clinic. As a result, local officials and veterans have worked to find a solution that will meet the needs of the growing population of Lubbock-area veterans.

In August 2011, the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents approved the use of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) land, at no cost, for the construction of a new facility that could be leased for an extended period by the VA. The benefits of this proposal are clear, as co-location of the VA clinic near a major medical academic center and a county hospital would provide veterans with easy access to additional services they do not currently have at the Lubbock VA Clinic. Furthermore, this proposed site is more accessible than the current location, connected to three major transportation arteries, and served by the City of Lubbock's bus transit system.

I understand that the Amarillo VA Health Care System has recognized the merits of the proposal for the lease of a new facility on TTUHSC land to house an expanded Lubbock VA Clinic, and has subsequently submitted the proposal to the Veterans Integrated Services Network 18 (VISN 18). On July 22, 2012, the Director of VISN 18 confirmed that the Lubbock VA Clinic proposal was one of VISN 18's top three capital improvement requests for Fiscal Year 2014, and that the proposal scored well on the merits during the VA's Strategic Capital Improvement Plan Committee review.

As a result, I urge you to give this proposal every consideration during your review and prioritization of projects for the Fiscal Year 2014 budget request. Thank you for your service to our nation's veterans.

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