Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the new Eurípides Rubio VA Clinic in Ponce

Veterans, government officials, military leaders, staff, and more joined the celebration, which featured a plena reception, a rendition of the anthems using the Puerto Rican Cuatro, a clinic tour, a ribbon cutting, and more.

The event began at 1 p.m., with Dr. Luis Ghigliotti, Eurípides Rubio Clinic Director, Carlos R. Escobar, Director of VACHS, Honorable Luis M. Irizarry, Mayor of Ponce, Honorable Agustín Montañez, Puerto Rico Veterans Advocate and Honorable Omar Marrero State Secretary of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico offering special remarks. Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González served as the keynote speaker for the event.

"Captain Euripides Rubio singlehandedly saved the lives of the men of the Headquarters Company of the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry against a numerically superior enemy force while fatally wounded. Captain Rubio's heroic acts, exemplary leadership, and courage during the Vietnam War were inspiring. We strive to honor his namesake by providing the best medical care and service to other brave and selfless men and women." noted VACHS Director Carlos R. Escobar. He also acknowledged the presence of the family of this Puerto Rican hero, Captain Eurípides Rubio, Jr.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity to represent Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi in this new Eurípides Rubio VA Outpatient Clinic ribbon ceremony. This is a landmark development for veterans in the Ponce area and the South. I am certain that the 186 employees in this clinic, some still serving in the Armed Forces, embody CPT Rubio's spirit of selflessness with every patient who walks through these doors. And it goes double for those Veterans who already carried out that supreme act of selflessness for all of us Americans. 

Special remarks were then given by Congresswoman At-Large Jenniffer González. She praised the new clinic, which offers more than 30 medical services for Veterans in the South.

“Since I swore in as the only representative for Puerto Rico in Congress in 2017, I  have worked to improve services for all the veterans who reside on the Island. I served on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs during the 115th Congress and supported critical legislation, like  the VA MISSION Act of 2018, to improve access for services offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.  We have also secured additional funds for our medical facilities, coordinated congressional visits alongside the House Veterans Affairs Committee, and created a Veterans Task Force to discuss pressing issues and include them on my agenda.  I am proud to be here celebrating the opening of a new clinic in Ponce, which will help improve services for Veterans in this region.  We support all requests made by our Veteran community, including access to home services and ongoing work for dental services,” affirmed the first woman to represent Puerto Rico in Congress, Jenniffer González.

The clinic, located at 1802 Calle Navarra, will offer primary health care services, including labs and blood work, mental health care, women's health care, social services, telehealth, and more. Patients will be seen Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call (787) 641-7582 or visit www.va.gov/caribbean-health-care/.

Coralys Ruiz Jiménez, Public Affairs Officer

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