McAllen — Today, Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa celebrated the grand re-opening of the University of Texas--Medical Branch in Galveston (UTMB) Cervical Dysplasia and Cancer Stop Clinic in McAllen.

Alongside of physicians from UTMB and Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, Hinojosa praised the clinic for its service to the community and its effective work at screening and preventing breast and cervical cancer.

In December of 2008, the clinic was closed by UTMB as a result of budget cuts caused by Hurricane Ike. Its closure left many of its 4,000 patients a year without a place to receive preventative breast and cervical cancer screenings.

After its closure, Senator Hinojosa, as Vice Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, led the charge during the legislative session to reopen the clinic by directing $1 million towards its mission of providing uncompensated care.

Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa commented on the clinic's reopening:

"Today is a great day for South Texas. With the reopening of this clinic, women in the Rio Grande Valley will once again have a place to go to be screened for breast and cervical cancer. Providing preventative care, particularly for low income families, is both the right thing to do and a wise use of taxpayer dollars," Hinojosa said.

As debate rages in Congress over a national health care plan and the associated costs, the McAllen clinic stands out as an example of how critical preventative care is both critical for patients well-being as well as an effective way to hold down medical costs.

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