In the News

Congressman Jodey Arrington made his way to Lubbock and talked about the new Veterans Administration Outpatient Clinic coming to West Texas. The nearest VA clinic is in Amarillo, and it would take almost two hours for a veteran to get to the Amarillo clinic. "Our veterans get the care that they need without having to drive long distances,' said retired Air Force Colonel Dave Lewis. He said only good will come from the new VA clinic. "The neat thing about this partnership is that the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center will be able to provide specialty care when the veterans need that," said Lewis. Arrington also looks forward to the clinic breaking ground within the next couple of years. "Our veterans are the very best of us, and they deserve the very best from us and so I'm ecstatic that West Texas is getting this tremendous asset for the veterans," said Arrington. There are more than 40,000 veterans who will greatly benefit form this clinic, Arrington said. Right now, veterans in the 29 counties he represents have to go to Amarillo for treatment. "I think that the quality of life for our veterans in West Texas will be dramatically improved as a result," said Arrington. This $12.3 million project will provide nearly 94,000 square feet of usable clinic space, which more than doubles the footprint of the current clinic off Avenue Q. "Expansion of capacity here means that we'll have the ability hopefully to serve and try to recruit those veterans to come in and get the care that they earned," said Lewis. The new facility will be on the Tech campus, just north of the Health Sciences Center, and it's expected to open in 2021. https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/klbk-news/congressman-jodey-arrington-talks-about-new-lubbock-veteran-clinic/1501693310