Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare centers in Dallas and El Paso will collectively receive $442 million of taxpayer funds for facility upgrades from the federal government.
The Dallas project will cost an estimated $293 million and include improvements for the specialized treatment of spinal injuries.
El Paso will see an entirely new healthcare center built, costing an estimated $150 million.
The bill, signed by the president on Monday, was supported by congressional representatives from both sides of the aisle, including Colin Allred (D-Dallas) and Jake Ellzey (R-Waxahachie).
In a press release, Allred explained, “Investing in VA medical facilities in Texas and across the country is a common-sense thing we can do to ensure our veterans get the best quality health care in their communities while strengthening local economies.”
The funding for the Dallas VA facility will help transition the medical facility into a long-term spinal cord injury treatment center.
Currently, the Dallas facility serves as a short-term inpatient center, but spinal cord injuries can require upwards of six weeks of treatment.
The new facility in El Paso will complement the existing center, expanding services available to the veteran community in the area.
As host to one of the largest Army bases in the state, military veterans make up over 8% of the city’s entire population.
While Texas expands VA services, parts of the country may see some centers shut down. Earlier in the year, the VA revealed that 35 facilities in the country — none located in Texas — need to be closed or restructured.
Almost 1.4 million veterans live in Texas, more than in any other state in the country.
The latest funding announcement isn’t the only improvement potentially occurring for veterans within the state.
Last month, U.S. Representative Sylvia Garcia (D-Houston), who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, announced plans to introduce a bill to alter how Veterans Affairs treats women’s cancer.
If the bill becomes law, gynecological services offered by the VA will be expanded to help accommodate the rapidly growing female veteran population, starting with a trial run in Texas.
Today, over 190,000 female veterans reside in Texas, making the state a suitable test ground for the initiative.
