By Louis Zylka
The 830 Times
Val Verde Regional Medical Center (VVRMC) unveiled a new clinic designed to improve
the patient experience in its emergency room.
Community leaders and hospital board members attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new community care clinic at VVRMC on Wednesday morning.
The clinic will be open Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and it is located on the left side of the ER when
entering through the main entrance.
The goal of the clinic is to manage the number of people in the ER by registering and assisting patients who are waiting longer and may have less-urgent symptoms that can be treated more quickly.
The clinic will be similar to a walk-in facility where patients can be treated for minor issues,
including sprains, coughs, colds, sore throats, stomach aches, nausea, earaches, the flu and
minor burns and lacerations.
The staff includes Dr. Jaime Gutierrez, the medical director of the clinic, and family nurse
practitioners Dennis Ong, John Hoover, Anel Delgado, Monica Escobedo and Sasha Valdez.
Jorge Jurado, chief executive officer (CEO) of VVRMC, spoke about the clinic before the ribbon
cutting. Jurado thanked the hospital’s board of directors for helping pave the way for the project,
and he praised the hospital/clinic leaders who work every day to ensure their operation services
and patient care stays strong. He also thanked the teams involved in the internal work for taking
a small, underutilized space and transforming it into a “fully functional clinic without the cost and
delay of construction.”
The clinic represents VVRMC’s ongoing goal of improving the hospital’s ER. One of the recent
additions to the ER includes the patient experience liaison, which was launched in December
2024. Jurado mentioned there has been a 20 percent increase in patient satisfaction because of
the care and assistance of the liaison staff. For the future of the ER, Jurado said work on three
additional treatment rooms will get underway later in the year.
“This clinic reflects something we deeply value in our hospital, and that is listening to the voices
in our community. Your feedback helps guide the clinic and your input will continue to shape
how we serve. We believe that the best care happens when it is informed by the people who
receive it,” Jurado said.
After the ribbon cutting, people were allowed to walk and view the inside of the clinic. The area
includes eight exam rooms, its own lobby with registration separate from the ER, and a station
for documenting assessments and dispensing medications.
Ong spoke with The 830 Times while giving a tour of the clinic, and he said his team focuses on
“convenient care” by helping patients come in and out of the ER at an easier and quicker pace.
As the new clinic expedites the care of patients with less-urgent symptoms, the main ER lobby
can then focus on assisting patients with more critical conditions.
The rest of the team shared some words about the benefits of the clinic. Hoover said their team
can help patients complete their visit in an hour or less based on what their issue is. Escobedo
said the clinic will be helpful for parents who have children in need of immediate attention.
“Having another walk-in clinic for (patients) to come and be seen will be good for the
community,” Escobedo said.
