El Paso VA staff outline community-care delays, dental eligibility and outreach plans

A representative of the El Paso VA told the Veterans Advisory Council that community-care authorizations, dental eligibility and pharmacy access remain the top concerns raised at recent veteran town halls, and staff are trying to streamline authorizations and expand telehealth options.

“My name is Amin Enriquez and I'm the chief for the Center for Development & Civic Engagement for the El Paso VA,” Enriquez said, summarizing outreach work and events. He listed three priorities the VA hears most from veterans: “community care, dental eligibility, and pharmacy.” He urged veterans to register with the VA and use the My HealtheVet app to track authorizations and refill prescriptions.

Why it matters: veterans who are not registered with the VA cannot be assigned a care team and therefore may face delays in obtaining community-care referrals. Council members said delays sometimes result in canceled or rescheduled appointments for specialty care.

Enriquez described several operational details. Community-care authorizations frequently expire after about 30 days, and emergency care requires timely notification (he said veterans should notify the VA within 72 hours to avoid unexpected billing). For pharmacy needs, veterans can request refills via the My HealtheVet app and expect routine refills within seven to ten business days; nonformulary prescriptions may take up to 96 hours for authorization.

He also outlined local services and outreach: tele-neurology is now available at the El Paso Healthcare Center for eligible patients, a women’s health clinic and a Las Cruces clinic are expected to open this summer, and the VA is holding multiple upcoming events including a resource fair and a May 7 baby shower for women veterans (donations collected through May 5). Enriquez said the VA distributes food weekly and partners with El Paso Fighting Hunger to tailor food boxes to medical needs.

Council members pressed staff on responsibility for missed appointments when authorizations arrive late. Enriquez said providers typically send appointment notices and sometimes call patients, but veterans should keep their authorization documents on hand and report missed or delayed authorizations to the VA’s eligibility office or patient advocacy so staff can resolve the issue.

Enriquez noted resource gaps: about 35,000 veterans are registered with the local VA, while roughly 65,000 veterans live in the community, leaving many unregistered and therefore unable to receive streamlined community-care services. He encouraged board members to refer veterans who need help registering and said eligibility staff are available on the VA’s third floor to assist.

The council’s discussion highlighted workforce and specialty-care shortages as well. Board members raised concerns about recruiting psychologists and specialty clinicians; VA staff acknowledged hiring challenges and said out-of-area telehealth providers are used when necessary.

What’s next: Enriquez offered to supply contact information and bring specific eligibility or claims issues to VA offices for follow-up. Veterans who need immediate help were directed to the VA front desk, the third-floor eligibility office, or the numbers Enriquez provided during the briefing.