By Regina Dennis

Tribune-Herald staff writer

TEMPLE – Bruce Gordon recalls that when he first began serving as the director of the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System in 2004, he immediately noticed a problem: The administrative offices were in a building separated from the Olin E. Teague Medical Center.

“We were having to ride in carts to go to meetings, and I thought, ‘No, this isn’t going to work with us being separated; we need to be together,’ ” he said. “So that’s one of the first things I did, was get the two units moved together so that we could work better to tackle the issues here.”

The move paid off in invigorated efforts to revamp the health care system. The Central Texas system is currently ranked as the 27th-best VA hospital system, up from being the 126th-best in 2004, based on standards of the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations, Gordon said.

“Everything was really a team effort,” Gordon said. “We have a really creative and enthusiastic staff here, and I gave them room to do what was needed to make everything work as it should.”

Gordon said he also is excited for the projects soon to begin at the Waco VA hospital. The campus, which was on the verge of closure just a few years ago, is on the cusp of expansion after grassroots efforts by Waco community members, VA staff and Texas’ congressional delegation.

The hospital received $49 million in funding to create the Center of Excellence for Research on returning war veterans; expand the blind-rehabilitation facility; expand and enhance mental health treatment; renovate long-term care facilities and rehabilitative facilities; and repair general infrastructure. Gordon estimates the expansions will bring 300 new jobs to Waco.

Move to Scott & White

Gordon retired Friday from the VA system, ending a 34-year career of working with veterans hospitals. However, the 58-year-old won’t be relaxing for too long: Monday, he will start a new job at Temple’s Scott & White health care system, serving as the associate executive director of cancer services systems.

“I get to stay in the same community, have the same contacts with people who know me in the area, continue working in the health care field and serving patients. And I don’t have to move my family,” Gordon said, noting that he can see Scott & White from his office at the VA.

Bill Mahon, veteran services coordinator for McLennan County, described Gordon’s tenure as productive and progressive, and said the Central Texas VA has improved greatly during his tenure.

“The health care has improved, the atmosphere at the hospitals has improved – you don’t go in to the hospital and have the staff snarling or frowning at you,” Mahon said. “If you compare the Temple and Waco hospitals now to five years ago, it’s like night and day.”

Hopes for program

Thomas Smith, senior associate director of the Central Texas VA, will step in as the interim director when Gordon leaves. Gordon said in the future, he hopes the VA will delve more into the specific needs of soldiers of Iraq and Afghanistan and as well as women veterans, groups whose needs have become more apparent in recent years.

“It’s becoming a real priority in that their needs are continually evolving and require more attention and study, but I wouldn’t say it’s a problem of us not doing something we need to be doing,” he said.

Gordon said he is proud of the work that has been accomplished at the Central Texas VA system, and he looks back fondly on more than three decades of working in veterans health care.

“Taking care of veterans has just been an incredible mission,” he said. “They’ve done so much for our country, and it’s the ultimate honor to be able to meet them here, give them a hug and provide them with great health care service. I’m going to miss that.”

rdennis@wacotrib.com

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