The VA’s new outpatient veterans clinic will be 38,000 square feet in size and have the capacity to serve up to 20,000 veterans. The $30 million project will replace the current Richmond clinic and is expected to be under construction until late 2027.
Construction of a new veterans clinic in Rosenberg is already underway in Fort Bend County, where Houston VA health authorities seek to expand access to medical services for a growing veteran population.
The project, located near U.S. Highway 59, will cost an estimated $30 million and will replace the current clinic in Richmond, which is already at capacity, according to officials of the Houston-based veteran health system. The new facility will have 38,000 square feet and will be able to serve twice as many veterans and their families.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on May 28 at the site where the veterans clinic will be built in Rosenberg, a city located more than 30 miles southwest of Houston. Attending the event were officials from the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, local veterans, and representatives from the offices of Congressmen Ted Cruz and Troy Nehls.
The clinic will be able to serve up to 20,000 veterans
Amir Farooqi, executive director of the Houston VA Medical Center, said during the ceremony that there is a large need to serve the growing veteran population in Fort Bend County.
“The new Rosenberg clinic will have the capacity for up to 20,000 veterans,” Farooqi said. He also noted that the system plans to hire additional staff and that the new location will allow the provision of essential health services closer to where patients live.
The new clinic will offer primary care, mental health, radiology, optometry, prosthetics, and physical therapy. VA officials indicated that the expanded space also seeks to improve appointment wait times.
The center will replace the current clinic in Richmond
Once completed, the Rosenberg outpatient veterans clinic will replace an existing facility in the neighboring city of Richmond. Farooqi said that clinic is “at capacity,” which has limited the ability to continue absorbing demand for services.
Construction of the project is anticipated through late 2027. The facility is part of a broader expansion of the VA health system in the Houston area.
Farooqi said the Houston VA health system is one of the fastest-growing veteran systems in the country. He explained that the Houston metropolitan area is enrolling about 1,000 veterans each month into VA health services.
Local veterans expect fewer transfers to receive care
Ken Dillon, a Vietnam War veteran, attended the ceremony and said the new location could help patients in the region who currently must travel farther to receive care.
Dillon mentioned that veterans need support in areas such as mental health, physical health, and medications, in addition to other services after transitioning out of military service.
The Rosenberg location aims to bring these services closer to the veterans of Fort Bend County and nearby communities, especially in an area where population growth has also increased demand for medical care.
Houston VA reports demand for housing and other supports
Since 2024, more than 6,000 veterans have needed services from the Houston VA referral center. Of that group, nearly 1,000 needed housing assistance or were at risk of becoming homeless.
The new clinic was not presented as a housing center, but as an ambulatory health facility. However, VA data show the breadth of needs faced by the veteran population served by the Houston system.
Farooqi said the Rosenberg clinic is one of several expansions that the Houston VA is considering to respond to patient growth in the region.
Services planned at the new Rosenberg veterans clinic
The new Rosenberg veterans clinic will offer ambulatory health services for VA patients. According to information presented by officials, the facility will include:
- Primary care
- Mental health services
- Radiology
- Optometry
- Prosthetics
- Physical therapy
The project will have 38,000 square feet, an estimated capacity to serve up to 20,000 veterans, and a construction timeline planned through late 2027.
