By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Val Verde County Commissioners Court recently presented two checks totaling half a million dollars to Val Verde Regional Medical Center (VVRMC) officials.
County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. and members of Commissioners Court presented the checks — one for $350,000 and the second for $150,000 — to VVRMC Chief Executive Officer Jorge Jurado and members of the hospital’s elected board of trustees during the court’s regular July meeting on July 15.
During the meeting, the court first accepted a $350,000 grant to Val Verde County and authorized distribution of the grant funds to VVRMC for the purchase of a new ambulance.
Owens read the heading of the agenda item, then called for a motion. Commissioner Pct. 2 Juan Carlos Vazquez made the motion, and Commissioner Pct. 4 Gustavo “Gus” Flores seconded it.
The court unanimously approved the motion.
Owens then asked the court to approve the presentation of a check for $150,000 to VVRMC.
Flores made the motion to approve the presentation, and Commissioner Pct. 1 Kerr Wardlaw seconded it. The court unanimously approved the motion.
Jurado came to the podium, and Owens thanked him for all the work the hospital does.
Owens also thanked the court, County Attorney David Martinez and County Auditor Matthew Weingardt for working together to make possible the county’s $150,000 donation to the hospital.
Owens also said the court gave permission to apply for the $350,000 grant and said he was grateful to the state for making the money available and approving the grant for Val Verde County.
Jurado told the court, “On behalf of the hospital and the board, thank you for the contributions.
“The $150,000 will go toward our efforts to establish oncology services here locally, which is amazing and something that should have been done a long time ago for our community, but we’re going to get it done.
“The $350,000 is going to a new ambulance. We cover the entire county, and those ambulances get wear and tear. We’ve been blessed to have three new ones, and, after COVID, the seven that we had were left ragged, falling apart, breaking down in Uvalde, breaking down on the way to San Angelo.
“So we have three new ones, and this one is going to be the fourth. We still have three others that will be used as backups, but I just want to say thank you for all the support of the hospital. I think together we can continue to move mountains and get to where we need to be,” Jurado added.
Wardlaw commented, “I’m very glad to be part of the court to get you this ambulance. As a former police officer, I’ve worked a very large accident, and I saw for myself how we ran out of ambulances, and I had to load injured people into the back of my patrol unit and transport them to the emergency room myself.
“So this is a big deal for me. I take it seriously, and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Owens added that one day he was driving back to Del Rio from a fire in the western part of the county and noted it is 73 miles from the county line on U.S. Highway 90 west of Del Rio to the hospital. He said he’d been asked for that mileage while applying for the ambulance grant.
Owens then invited Jurado and the hospital board members present to join Commissioners Court for a photo.
Hospital board members who joined Jurado at the meeting included Robin Palmer, hospital board chairwoman; Seferino Gomez III, hospital board vice chair; Javier Calderon, hospital board secretary; and Raul Alatorre, hospital board member.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com.
