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VA outpatient clinic reports enrollment growth, outreach plans and a voluntary firearm‑storage pilot
Summary
The VA outpatient clinic told the committee it has more than 5,000 enrolled patients and will run a 'Choose VA' enrollment outreach effort this fiscal year. The clinic also warned of an ongoing fraud scheme and introduced Guardian Arms, a voluntary firearm‑storage program to reduce suicide risk.
Representatives of the VA outpatient clinic told the Laredo veterans committee on March 10 that local enrollment has grown from roughly 2,600 to more than 5,000 since 2013 and that central VA will support a 'Choose VA' outreach campaign and a regional tele town hall to connect non‑enrolled veterans with benefits.
"We're up to about over 5,000 right now," Ugo Martinez said, adding that a tele town hall will identify non‑enrolled veterans in Webb County and surrounding counties and explain VA benefits and enrollment options, including community‑care access under the Mission Act.
Clinic staff clarified eligibility rules: income alone does not permanently bar all veterans from enrollment, and service‑connected conditions qualify veterans for care regardless of income. Speakers also noted that recent federal changes (the PACT Act) broaden eligibility for veterans exposed to certain toxins.
The clinic issued a fraud alert after staff learned of at least one instance in which someone posing as a VA community‑care provider contacted a veteran and requested money up front. Committee members were asked to share the alert with their networks.
Alex Pennington, the clinic’s business compliance and integrity officer, described Guardian Arms, a voluntary out‑of‑home firearm storage program designed to create time and distance during crises. He said the program is legal, voluntary and aims to partner with licensed firearms businesses and the Texas Veterans Commission to create trusted, temporary storage options for veterans at risk.
Committee members asked how to enroll veterans and were directed to VA outreach and local enrollment opportunities; the clinic did not seek formal committee action during the update.
