SAN ANTONIO – Next year’s proposed federal budget includes $30 million for land acquisition for the site of a new veterans medical center in San Antonio.
The acquisition would be described as “a necessary first step to address the growing veteran population in that area (San Antonio)” in the proposed 2027 budget.
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The federal budget’s proposal language frames the funding as an initial phase of a broader effort.
The proposal comes less than a month after San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, in conjunction with Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs expressing support for a new Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center in San Antonio.
“This investment is essential to ensuring that veterans across our community have access to modern, high-quality inpatient and outpatient services, including enhanced specialty care, mental health services and other critical clinical programs delivered throughout the region,” Jones said in the letter.
Jones also outlined multiple factors she believes demonstrate the need for a new medical facility to replace the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital:
- In the region, 64% of veteran healthcare enrollees are under 64 years old, which is higher than the national average
- The South Texas Veterans Healthcare System has only 27 beds despite being the second-busiest emergency department within the Veterans Health Administration
- The number of female veterans receiving healthcare in South Texas is expected to increase significantly
The Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital officially opened and accepted its first patient back in 1973. Jones said the new facility would be needed to meet “21st century clinical standards.”
The timeline for a potential land purchase, construction location and grand opening remains unclear at this time.
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