San Antonio health brief: VA hospital plans, measles update, and colon cancer screening push
San Antonio, TX – February 27, 2026 – VA planners weigh a new Medical Center hospital, while officials review measles cases and screening events.
Federal planning for a major new Veterans Affairs hospital in San Antonio moved a step closer this week, as officials also tracked new information on measles cases near the city and launched a month of colon cancer awareness activities.
VA hospital proposal advances in the Medical Center
The San Antonio Report reported Feb. 26 that the federal government is firming up plans for a new 1.6 million-square-foot VA hospital in the South Texas Medical Center area. The proposal would replace the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans’ Hospital (opened in 1973) and is being outlined through an Army Corps of Engineers ‘sources sought’ notice for architectural and engineering services.
According to the report, the preliminary plan describes a main hospital building along with separate administration space, a central utility plant, and two parking garages with about 3,000 spaces. The site under consideration is a 50-plus-acre tract near Hamilton Wolf Road and Floyd Curl Drive, less than two miles north of the current hospital.
VA officials told the outlet the work remains early-stage planning, including preparation of an environmental impact statement. The San Antonio Medical Foundation, which owns the land cited in the story, said a report tied to the public comment period is expected by March, and the VA is working toward a potential completion timeframe around 2032.
Measles cases near San Antonio: travel-linked, not classified as an outbreak
MySA reported Feb. 21 that Texas health officials confirmed six measles cases tied to two households in Kendall and Bandera counties, linked to out-of-state travel. Officials said those cases were no longer infectious at the time of the update and that the situation did not meet the definition of an outbreak.
State officials also investigated a confirmed measles case involving a Bexar County resident who contracted the virus while traveling, with the person remaining out of state during the infectious period, according to the report. Public health guidance notes that measles can spread through the air and can linger for up to about two hours in an indoor space after an infectious person has left.
Colon cancer awareness events roll into March
University Health said Feb. 24 it kicked off Colon Cancer Awareness Month with Bexar County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores and a calendar of activities planned throughout March. KSAT also highlighted the month-long awareness partnership between University Health and the Bexar County Commissioners Court.
University Health noted that routine colorectal cancer screening recommendations were lowered from age 50 to 45 in 2021, and said primary care providers can discuss multiple screening options, including stool-based tests and colonoscopy. The health system also published a list of symptoms that can be associated with colon cancer, including persistent changes in bowel habits, fatigue, iron-deficiency anemia, and blood in the stool.
What it means locally
In the last six days, San Antonio-area health headlines have centered on both long-term capacity planning and near-term prevention: a potential new federal hospital campus, a closely watched (but limited) measles situation in the Hill Country, and a renewed push for routine cancer screening.
Sources
https://sanantonioreport.org/plans-are-firming-up-for-a-new-va-hospital-in-the-medical-center/
https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/measles-san-antonio-boerne-21362455.php
https://www.universityhealth.com/news/colon-cancer-rates-increasing-but-so-are-screening-options
https://www.ksat.com/video/news/2026/02/24/university-health-partners-with-bexar-county-for-month-long-colon-cancer-awareness-event/
https://www.osha.gov/measles/hazards
