Andrea Trujillo, Marketing and Admissions Director at the New Mexico State Veterans Home, told a legislative committee that the facility is nearly at capacity and that recent administrative fixes have sped up enrollment and Medicaid approvals.

“We admitted 2 more veterans and we're up to 130 with 4 applications for the 1 open bed. So we're predicting here by the end of the week, we'll be totally full,” Trujillo said.

Trujillo said the campus now houses 128–130 residents with space for up to 131. The facility includes an annex with five secured units and 59 beds, and six newly built single-level homes that each house 12 residents. Trujillo said the annex contains on-site amenities including a beauty shop, a physical-therapy gym and a movie theater; the new homes are configured with private rooms, private bathrooms and two couple rooms.

Why it matters: The committee had previously questioned whether the new homes and annex would be occupied. Committee members pressed for details about wait lists, payment sources and staffing because those factors affect the home’s financial stability and capacity to serve veterans statewide.

Officials described eligibility rules and payer mix. Trujillo said eligible applicants include honorably discharged veterans with 90 days or more of service, spouses of eligible veterans and certain Gold Star parents. She said a preference is given to New Mexico residents when there is a waiting list. Trujillo reported roughly 70 residents who are service-connected at 70% or higher, 68 on Medicaid, seven private-pay residents and several on hospice. She said about 13% of residents are women and ages range from early 60s to over 100.

Trujillo told the committee the Department of Health helped shorten the Medicaid pending timeline; she said Medicaid pending approvals now take about 30 days, and that the facility’s financial office is returning determinations from completed admission packets in approximately 48 hours. “So we get back to the veterans really quick,” she said.

On staffing and clinical services, Trujillo said the home provides 24‑hour nursing coverage to meet federal VA requirements and that it holds contracts for visiting specialty services including a medical director (weekly), a podiatrist, a dentist (who supplies and fits dentures at no out-of-pocket cost to veterans) and a wound care nurse. She said the facility aims to bring services to the campus so residents do not spend long periods on buses to regional clinics in Las Cruces or Albuquerque.

On cost, Trujillo told the committee the private-pay rate is $12,625.06 per month and that the seven private-pay residents are a consistent portion of the census. She also said the new homes are 100% solar and that the annex remains on electric service; she added there is a project under consideration to convert the annex to solar in 2027 or 2028.

Committee members asked about the waiting list and turnover. Trujillo said the home has about 20 people on the waiting list and that turnover is low because rooms only become available when a resident discharges or dies, making average wait time difficult to predict. She said the home does track wait-time metrics and offered to provide them to the committee.

On recruitment and housing for staff, Trujillo said the facility and the General Services Department are working on a project to create shaded outdoor areas and are discussing building apartments nearby to help recruit and retain caregivers. She told lawmakers housing shortages in Truth or Consequences were a principal recruitment challenge.

There was no formal committee action or vote on the presentation. Trujillo and Kenneth Scholl, the facility administrator, invited committee members to visit the campus; no requests for specific legislative funding were made on the record.

Ending: Committee members praised the facility’s design and services and said they would consider follow-up information on waiting-list metrics and any future requests from the home.