The West Texas VA Health Care System (WTVAHCS) has opened a new outpatient clinic in Hobbs. Ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremonies for the new facility were held appropriately on Veterans Day, Thursday, November 11. After the festivities the public was welcomed to tour the new clinic.
Housed in what used to be the location of Beall’s Department Store at 1301 South Turner Street, the 11,000 square foot building has been remodeled to the tune of approximately $2,100,000.
According to the WTVAHCS Facebook page, the new clinic will serve veterans who live in Southeast New Mexico and West Texas. “The new clinic will provide primary care, mental health, social work, lab services, and specialty care through VA Telehealth Services.”
The new Hobbs clinic has been a long time in the making with the old clinic being inadequate in many ways, and the community as a whole — especially veterans, staff and area officials — are delighted that the new clinic’s doors are now open.
Director of the WTVAHCS Jason Cave, who was very instrumental in bringing the new facility to Hobbs, expressed at Thursday’s ribbon cutting his appreciation to all for a job well done. “It takes a team and it takes a community to activate a clinic like this. It doesn’t just happen, he said. “We could never have gotten here without this community, these stakeholders, our veterans services organizations, our political leaders and folks who pushed so hard to make this a reality.”
At the ceremony Director Cave acknowledged many for making the project a reality, including the ”subject matter experts” within the VA, the contract officers “who actually went on the dotted line”, the Mayor of Hobbs Sam Cobb and especially the staff of the Hobbs VA clinic. “This would just be a shell if it were not for the heart and soul that those folks pour into the care they provide every day,” said Cave.
When it comes to veteran satisfaction Cave was not shy in stating that satisfaction in Hobbs is very high. “Of those 55,000 miles we cover in 33 counties do you want to know which location has the highest veteran satisfaction according to veterans? Right here [in Hobbs],” he said.
Next to take the podium was associate WTVAHCS director James Douglas. While introducing Douglas, Director Cave did not hesitate when he said, “The reason we are here is because of our associate director [Douglas]. Where some folks faltered he persevered. Where some folks got discouraged he raised his commitment, and when some folks fell into conflicts and disagreements and obstacles, he just mended fences, healed the wounds and redirected everybody on the goal.”
At the ceremony Douglas expressed his regret that it has taken so long for the new clinic to come to fruition. “Our world got turned upside down with the pandemic,” he said. “I believe with everything in me that our veterans, our nation’s veterans, less than 9% of the population of this country, deserve our very best.”
City of Hobbs District 5 Commissioner Roy Dwayne Penick was next to speak. Standing in front of the new clinic the commissioner commented to the public but especially to veterans, “This has been a long time coming. You have earned this. This is not something that is given to you. You have earned the right to good medical care.”
All could see the pride Commissioner Penick has for the clinic, its staff and the support that Hobbs provides to our veterans when he welled up with emotion while he was speaking.
The video of the ribbon cutting and groundbreaking ceremony is available to the public. The new outpatient clinic is open from 08:00 am – 4:30 pm, Monday – Friday. The clinic’s goal is to provide immediate care.
