Quick Action by VA Staff Averts Tragedy at Beaumont Outpatient Clinic
By Maureen Dyman, Communications Director
It was a typical busy Monday morning earlier this week at the Beaumont VA Outpatient Clinic. Exam rooms were filling up, phones were ringing and Veterans were checking in for their appointments, when the pouring rain gave way to something unexpected…a slow sag in the roof.
Staff noticed it almost immediately. Within moments, Pedro Leon, the clinic’s nurse manager, Will Angelle, Latrecia Garrett and Officer Jose Estrada (all Army Veterans), were moving through the building directing staff and Veterans toward the exits. The Clinic Director, Dr. Shanthi Reddy and several other staff also jumped into action, helping Veterans and staff out of the clinic. There was no panic, just urgency. Patients were guided out of waiting rooms and exam areas, employees cleared their stations and the clinic emptied out quickly.
Then the roof gave way.
By the time it collapsed, the clinic was empty. No Veterans and no staff were injured; an outcome VA leadership credits to the speed and composure of the employees who recognized the danger and acted before there was time to think twice.
“We are incredibly proud of our staff,” said Lindsey Crain, Deputy Director of the Houston VA. “Their training and their instincts took over, and because of that everyone walked out safely.”
Clinic Building Temporarily Closed: In-person Services to Continue Beginning Next Week
The Beaumont clinic sustained significant structural damage, along with water damage from the storm, and will remain temporarily closed while the VA repairs the roof and addresses the flooding. But care to Veterans has not stopped.
VA is in the process of setting up temporary mobile medical units in the Beaumont clinic’s parking lot, expected to be operational within the week. Lindsey Crain, Deputy Medical Center Director of the Houston VA, which manages the Beaumont Clinic, visited the site following the collapse and emphasized the VA’s commitment to continuity of care.
“Our priority right now is making sure every Veteran who depends on this clinic continues to get the care they need without interruption,” she said. “We’re standing up mobile units and temporary structures, leaning on our Clinical Contact Center, and doing everything we can to bridge the gap while repairs are underway.” The VA’s Clinical Contact Center remains available for medication needs, scheduling and other healthcare questions at 1-
Looking Ahead: A New Clinic on the Way
The roof collapse comes as VA continues construction on a new Beaumont clinic location, which broke ground in July 2025. The new facility will be nearly double the size of the current building and will allow VA to expand services offered to local Veterans. The Beaumont Clinic employs more than 80 staff members and serves a little over 10,000 Veterans in this area.
“We’re proud of our dedicated employees and grateful for the patience and understanding of the Veterans we serve,” Crain said. “We know this is disruptive, and we are working as quickly and safely as possible to get our Veterans back into the clinic…and ultimately into a bigger, new one.”
Veterans with medical questions or who need assistance during the closure are encouraged to call