Military Medicine City, USA

Two gifts support military health programs

The San Antonio area has one of the largest concentrations of active-duty military personnel and veterans in the nation, with an estimated 159,000 veterans living in Bexar County, according to the Bexar County Veterans Service Office. And that number is expected to grow.

To support them, USAA has given $1.5 million to establish the USAA “Patty and Joe Robles, Jr.” Distinguished Chair for Military Health and the USAA “Patty and Joe Robles, Jr.” Endowment in Military Health. The funds will be used to support the director of the Military Health Institute and for military health programs and institute infrastructure. Another $500,000 was given for faculty recruitment and start-up costs for the institute.

“This formalizes our Military Health Institute and allows it to be sustained,” said retired Maj. Gen. Byron C. Hepburn, M.D., the institute’s inaugural director. “It shows a commitment to us from a major national organization.”

The Military Health Institute was established in 2014 to improve the health of military service members, veterans and their families through education, research, clinical care and community engagement.

“San Antonio really has a unique aggregation of incredible assets and national resources when you talk about military health,” Dr. Hepburn said. “They say San Antonio is Military City, USA. It’s really Military Medicine City, USA.”