Operation Lone Star to offer free health services in the Valley

Operation Lone Star will be providing Rio Grande Valley residents with free health clinics for all ages.

Now in its 12th year, the annual event will start Monday in Brownsville, Mission, Raymondville and San Juan and will continue through Friday. The following week, the operation will move to Rio Grande City and points west.

John Villarreal, spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services, said the project has garnered hundreds of volunteers and thousands of participants.

“Last year we provided 57,742 medical services to 12,645 residents,” he said. “And over 400 military staff, 200 state and county employees and numerous local volunteers such as doctors and dentists dedicated their time to helping.”

Medical services that will be provided during Operation Lone Star include:

>> Immunizations.

>> Blood pressure checks.

>> Cholesterol and diabetes screenings.

>> Hearing and vision exams.

>> Physicals for students.

>> Limited dental care.

>> Limited pharmacy services.

The project also doubles as an emergency response exercise that provides disaster recovery training for the area, Villarreal said.

“What a lot of people don’t know is that it is also an emergency response exercise run for the community,” he said. “We set up and practice what would happen in an emergency situation … and in the process serve over 1,000 people a day.”

The project also allows epidemiologists — scientists who study the incidence, distribution and control of disease within a population — to gather data and study public health patterns in the Valley.

Identification or proof of residence is not required to receive clinic services, and all clinics are free to the public. Previous medical records such as immunization cards and other documents help the medical provider but are not necessary, Villarreal said. He asks, though, that people seeking clinic services remain patient.

“We are giving some of the best medical services we can provide, but lines can get long,” he said, “so if anything, please bring a little patience — and maybe a snack — to wait out the lines.”

Some of the busier clinics last year received up to 1,000 people a day, Villarreal said. He expects about the same numbers, if not more, this year.

“Every year there tends to be an increase in numbers,” Villarreal said. “We hope people will take advantage of the free services.”