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TODAY'S CEREMONY REFLECTS OUR SHARED COMMITMENT TO ENHANCING THE CITY'S PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE AND EXPANDING ITS TESTING CAPACITY.
WE ARE HONORED TO CELEBRATE THIS MOMENT WITH ALL OF YOU, OUR PARTNERS, OUR COLLEAGUES, AND OUR NEIGHBORS WHO BELIEVE IN THE FUTURE THAT WE'RE BUILDING TOGETHER.
IT'S MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE THE MAYOR WHOSE COMMITMENT TO THIS CITY CONTINUES TO SHAPE THE WAY WE GROW, INNOVATE, AND CARE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING OUR STEADFAST PARTNER IN BUILDING A HEALTHIER, STRONGER FUTURE FOR ALL OF US.
WE'RE GRATEFUL TO HAVE YOU HERE TODAY, SIR.
AND THANK EVERYONE THAT'S HERE.
THANK CERTAINLY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT STAFF, UH, OUR DEVELOPERS, AND CERTAINLY THE VA, OUR PARTNERS, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, DAVIS.
UM, MY, MY PARTNER IN GOING FORWARD WITH THIS GREAT CITY.
YOU KNOW, IT'S SO EXCITING TO BE HERE AND WITNESS THE PROGRESS WE'RE MAKING AND I CAN'T KEEP FROM REFLECTING ON THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.
SO MANY MAJOR CITIES ARE IN TURMOIL.
THEY'RE HAVING DISAGREEMENTS, AND QUITE FRANKLY, THEIR GOVERNANCE IS, IS BEING CHALLENGED.
BUT LOOK WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY.
WE'RE COLLABORATING WITH THE VA AND GOING FORWARD TO IMPROVE THE HEALTHCARE DELIVERY FOR HOUSTON AND QUITE FRANKLY, OUR REGION.
SO WE NEED DAYS LIKE TODAY, WE NEED DAYS LIKE TODAY TO CELEBRATE OUR PROGRESS.
UH, A HEALTH DEPARTMENT THAT IS MEETING ITS CHALLENGES.
I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT DR. TRAN AND HER TEAM.
I'M SO PROUD OF THE APPOINTMENTS THAT I'VE MADE AND I KNEW DR. TRAN WITH HER BACKGROUND OF WORKING IN THE BEN TOP AND LBJ EMERGENCY ROOMS AND INSTRUCTOR AT UT.
I'M SO PROUD OF THE TEAM THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE AND I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT SHE HIT THE GROUND RUNNING, BUT WE'RE ONLY AS GOOD AS OUR STAFF IS, SO THANK YOU, UH, ROGER AND THE TEAM THAT WORKS WITH DR. TRAN.
SO, IN CLOSING, LET ME SAY, I NEED DAYS LIKE TODAY.
I DEAL WITH PROBLEMS MOST DAY, MOST PROBLEMS. SO IT IS SO ENCOURAGING TO BE PRESENT WHERE WE'RE BREAKING GROUND FOR A DELIVERY SYSTEM THAT WILL BE HERE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND ALSO THANK YOU TO OUR VA PARTNERS.
I PREACH COLLABORATION EVERYWHERE I GO.
THAT'S HOW WE'RE GONNA FIX SOME OF OUR CHALLENGES.
YEAH, THANK YOU MAYOR WHITMEYER AND ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
WE HAVE TO CELEBRATE THESE COLLABORATIONS AND THESE WINS WHERE WE HAVE 'EM.
UH, NEXT IT'S MY PRIVILEGE TO INTRODUCE A LEADER WHOSE VISION AND STEADINESS ARE ALREADY SHAPING THE NEXT CHAPTER FOR OUR DEPARTMENT.
PLEASE WELCOME OUR NEW DIRECTOR, DR. THERESA TRAN.
UM, IT IS SUCH AN HONOR TO STAND HERE TODAY.
AS I SAID EARLIER, I'M THE LITTLE DIRECTOR.
UM, BUT IT'S AN HONOR TO STAND HERE TODAY, UH, IN FRONT OF OUR PARTNERS WITH AMAL LANG, THE VA CITY, UH, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, CITY COUNCIL, AND EVERYBODY WHO'S MADE TODAY POSSIBLE AS WE BREAK GROUND ON THE EXPANSION OF THIS FACILITY THAT WILL STRENGTHEN CARE AND INNOVATION, UM, ACROSS 17 COUNTIES IN THE TEXAS PUBLIC HEALTH REGION SOUTH.
THIS COLLABORATION, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU, ALLOWS THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO EXPAND OUR OPERATIONS WITHIN THE VA CAMPUS, BRINGING CUTTING EDGE LABORATORY SERVICES CLOSE TO VETERANS, AND ENSURING SEAMLESS COORDINATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND FEDERAL HEALTH AGENCIES.
THE HOLCOMB LAB EXPANSION WILL BE A HUB FOR EXPAND FOR ADVANCED TESTING, FASTER DIAGNOSTICS AND GREATER COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN OUR CLINICIANS, RESEARCHERS, AND PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
THIS EXPANSION MEANS SHORTER WAIT TIMES FOR RESULTS, BETTER ACCESS TO SPECIALIZED TESTING SERVICES, AND STRONGER SUPPORT FOR HOSPITALS AND CLINICS THAT DE DEPEND ON OUR SHARED RESOURCES.
SO WHAT WE BRING HERE TODAY IS MORE THAN JUST A BUILDING, IT'S MORE, UM, IT'S ABOUT EXPANDING OUR REACH
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AND DEEPENING OUR IMPACT, CREATING A BETTER AND HEALTHIER FUTURE FOR EVERY COMMUNITY RES WE SERVE.AND REALLY BEING A MODEL ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
AND I'M SO EXCITED THAT WE ALL GET TO BE A PART OF THAT TOGETHER.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYBODY WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE.
I AM, I GOT TO KIND OF STEP INTO THIS AND TAKE OWNERSHIP OF IT, SO IT'S TRULY A GIFT TO ME.
UM, BUT THANK YOU REALLY FOR BELIEVING IN WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE TOGETHER, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP.
THIS IS JUST AN EX EXHIBIT OF THE PARTNERSHIP AND OF THE GREAT WORK THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO TOGETHER.
UH, SHE MAY BE SMALL IN STATURE, BUT SHE'S GOT A VERY BIG PRESENCE.
UM, SO IT IS NOW MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME A PUBLIC SERVANT AND A VETERAN WHO AS AN AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER, WORKS TIRELESSLY TO STRENGTHEN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND FAMILIES OF THIS AND EVERY DISTRICT IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN RECOGNIZING COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF THOSE GATHERED TODAY.
IT'S A GOOD MORNING, AS OUR MAYOR HAS INDICATED.
AND LET ME JUST SAY I'M HAPPY TO AND PROUD TO REPRESENT, UH, MY COLLEAGUE AND COUNCILMAN CAROLYN SHABAZZ IN A ABSENT THIS MORNING.
UM, AND WHEN, UM, I WAS ASKED TO, UM, TO COME TODAY IN HER PLACE, UH, HONORED TO DO THAT BECAUSE AS MANY KNOW, I AM A VETERAN, BUT I'M ALSO HAPPY TO JOIN WITH OUR MAYOR, WHO IS DOING A TREMENDOUS AND OUTSTANDING JOB THROUGHOUT OUR CITY, ALL OVER OUR CITY.
AND CERTAINLY THIS IS NO EXCEPTION.
UH, THIS MORNING, THIS IS A BLESSED TO STAND HERE.
WE BREAK GROUND ON A FACILITY THAT REPRESENTS STRENGTH, OUR PREPAREDNESS, AND CARE FOR OUR CITY.
AND CERTAINLY AS A COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE AND A VETERAN I SERVED DURING THE VIETNAM ERA, I'VE LEARNED THAT REAL PROTECTION, WHETHER ON THE BATTLEFIELD OR IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE, COMES FROM INVESTING IN THINGS JUST LIKE THIS.
SO I AM PROUD, I'M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT THIS NEW BUREAU OF LABORATORY SERVICES WILL HELP TO ENSURE HOUSTON IS READY FOR THE CHALLENGES WE CANNOT ALWAYS SEE, BUT WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE THERE.
THE WORK THAT, UH, WILL HAPPEN INSIDE THIS BUILDING WILL SUPPORT FASTER AND, AND, AND CERTAINLY TESTING STRONGER THE RESPONSE AND THE SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON OUR SIZE.
AND CERTAINLY I WANT TO THANK, UH, OUR, UM, DR. TRAN, DIRECTOR TRAN AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR LEY, AND THE ENTIRE TEAM, UH, AS MAYOR WHITMEYER HAS SAID FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO EACH AND EVERY DAY.
AND WE'RE CERTAINLY HONORED AND GLAD TO BE HERE, UH, TO KNOW THAT, UH, THIS WORK IS GOING FORWARD AND WHAT A TREMENDOUS EFFECT IS GOING TO HAVE ON THE ENTIRE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY.
WELL, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS.
UM, AND NOW THE MOMENT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR, I'D LIKE TO INVITE OUR DISTINGUISHED GUESTS AND OUR PARTNERS, UH, TO JOIN US AT THE FRONT OR THE BACK OF THE SITE.
UH, PLEASE GATHER AROUND THE SHOVELS AS WE PREPARE TO MARK THIS MOMENT TOGETHER.
LET'S GET READY TO BREAK GROUND ON THE FUTURE, FUTURE WE'RE BUILDING TOGETHER.