Health Care Advocacy Department

Providing assistance for Texas Veterans to address VA Health Care Issues

A team of highly trained Texas Veteran Commission staff, strategically positioned across the state to act as liaisons for Texas veterans in addressing issues involving Veterans Administration health care related services.

General Contact Form

Contact Health Care Advocacy

photo of Gary Lee
Gary Lee

Director, Health Care Advocacy Department
gary.lee@tvc.texas.gov
512-463-5340

William Pryor
Operations Manager, Health Care Advocacy Department
william.pryor@tvc.texas.gov
512-463-3605

General
healthcare@tvc.texas.gov


Having difficulty accessing VA health care services?

Our Texas Veterans Health Care Advocacy team acts on the veterans behalf as a liaison between veterans and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to resolve access issues involving VA health care related services such as:

  • Enrollment / Eligibility
  • Appointments
  • VA billing issues
  • Prescription / Pharmacy assistance
  • Care in the Community / MISSION Act assistance
  • MRIs. X-rays, or lab tests
  • Other VA health care issues

Find Your Health Care Advocate:

Please have the following information available:

  • Veteran’s Full Name – (ex: John, Doe)
  • Veteran’s 10 digit Phone Number (ex: 512-444-4777)
  • Veteran’s Address (ex: 123 Fake Street, Austin, TX, 78744)
  • Last 4 of SSN only (ex: 5577) Note: Only last 4, do not email full SSN
  • Description of VA service you are having trouble accessing (ex: I need to see a doctor for mental health reasons but I’m having difficulty contacting someone)
  • VA facility utilized (ex: I use the VA Clinic in Cedar Park, TX)

If you are in a location where a representative is not available, call 1-800-252-VETS (8387), and one of our advocates will contact you within 3 business days. If you are having an emergency, call 9-1-1, immediately.

 

Abilene Region

Taylor County Veterans’ Service Office
400 Oak Street, Suite 150
Abilene, TX 79602

Cell: (325) 627-3166Sean Lewissean.lewis@tvc.texas.govHours:  7:00a – 4:00p / M-F

Amarillo Region

Thomas E. Creek
VA Medical Center
6010 Amarillo Blvd. West
Room 1342D
Amarillo, Texas 79106

(806) 355-9703 ext. 17049
Cell: (915) 301-5676
Travis Walker

travis.walker@tvc.texas.gov
Hours:  7:30a – 4:30p / M-F

Austin Region

VA Outpatient Clinic
7901 Metropolis Dr.
Room 1-G112
Austin, TX 78744

(512) 823-4305
Cell: (512) 627-3600James Juarezjames.juarez@tvc.texas.govHours:  7:30a – 4:30p / M-F

Beaumont Region

Beaumont VA Outpatient Clinic
3420 Veterans Circle
Room 402
Beaumont, TX 77707

Cell: (409) 679-6709Shonda Royshonda.roy@tvc.texas.govHours:  7:30a – 4:00p / M-F

 

Big Spring Region

George H. O’Brien, Jr.
VA Medical Center
300 Veterans Blvd.
Room 145
Big Spring, TX 79720

Cell: (432) 270-4256
Ashley Hultz
ashley.hultz@tvc.texas.gov
Hours:  7:30a – 4:30p / M-F

Corpus Christi Region

Corpus Christi VA Specialty
Outpatient Clinic (OPC)
205 South Enterprise Parkway
Room J277
Corpus Christi, TX 78405

(361) 939-6510 ext. 62757
Cell: (361) 445-1733
Janet Franco
janet.franco@tvc.texas.gov
Hours:  7:30a – 4:30p / M-F

Dallas Region

Dallas VA Medical Center
4500 S. Lancaster Bldg. 2
Room 1-C 423G
Dallas, TX 75216

(214) 857-0454
Cell: (469) 346-9228
Nikki Taylor
nikki.taylor@tvc.texas.gov
Hours:  7:30a – 4:30p / M-F

El Paso Region

El Paso VA Health Care Center
5001 North Piedras
Room B 203C
El Paso, TX 79930

(915) 564-6100 Ext. 6282
Cell: (915)-301-5676
Travis Walker
travis.walker@tvc.texas.gov
Hours:  7:30a – 4:30p / M-F

Fort Worth Region

Fort Worth VA Outpatient Clinic
2201 SE Loop 820
Room 2-S, 307
Fort Worth, TX 76119-5863

(817) 730-0400
Cell: (469) 340-7319

Gina Roberts
gina.roberts@tvc.texas.gov
Hours:  7:30a – 4:30p / M-F

Granbury Region

Granbury VA Community OPC
1210 Paluxy Medical Circle
Granbury, TX 76048

Cell: (817) 964-6079
Philip Davila
philip.davila@tvc.texas.gov
Hours:  7:00a – 4:00p / M-F

Houston Region

Michael E. DeBakey
VA Medical Center
2002 Holcombe Blvd.
Room 5B-231
Houston, TX 77030

(713) 791-1414 ext. 23728
Cell: (346) 426-6081
Na’Tavia Naulings-Linton
natavia.naulings-linton@tvc.texas.gov
Hours:  7:30a – 4:30p / M-F

Kerrville Region

Schreiner University2100 Memorial Blvd.
LA Schreiner Hall, Rm. 302Kerrville, TX 78028

Cell: (830) 285-2479Jonese Wright
jonese.wright@tvc.texas.gov
Hours:  7:30a – 4:30p / M-F

Lake Jackson Region

Lake Jackson VA Outpatient Clinic
208 Oak Drive South,Suite 700
Lake Jackson, TX 77566

Cell: (979) 480-5630
Ca’Rhondalet Washington
carhondalet.washington
@tvc.texas.gov
Hours:  7:30a – 4:30p / M-F

Laredo Region

Laredo VA Outpatient Clinic
4602 North Bartlett Avenue
Laredo, TX 78041

Cell: (956) 236-9745
Maria “Isabel” Ramirez-Shrout
maria.ramirez-shrout@tvc.texas.gov
Hours:  7:30a – 4:30p / M-F

Lubbock Region

Lubbock VA Outpatient Clinic
3510 4th Street, Rm 113
Lubbock, TX 79415

Cell: (806) 782-1565Horacio Maldonadohoracio.maldonado@tvc.texas.govHours:  7:30a – 4:30p / M-F

Lufkin Region

Charles Wilson VA Outpatient Clinic
2206 N. John Redditt Dr
Rm A109 Lufkin, TX 75904

(936) 671-4336
Cell: (936) 707-5677

Dorothy “DeDe” Card
dorothy.card@tvc.texas.gov
Hours:  7:00a – 4:00p / M-F

McAllen Region

McAllen VA Outpatient Clinic
901 East Hackberry Avenue
Room E-400
McAllen, TX 78503

Cell: (956) 310-2405
Eric Zamora
eric.zamora@tvc.texas.gov
Hours:  7:30a – 4:30p / M-F

Odessa Region

Wilson & Young MoH VA Clinic8050 E. Highway 191Odessa, TX 79765

 Cell: (432) 653-7281Mary Paskemary.paske@tvc.texas.govHours:  7:30a – 4:30p / M-F

San Angelo Region

San Angelo VA Outpatient Clinic
4240 Southwest BLVD
San Angelo, Texas 76904

Cell: (325) 812-9103
Diane Gaitan
diane.gaitan@tvc.texas.gov
Hours:  7:30a – 4:30p / M-F

 

San Antonio Region

Audie L. Murphy Memorial
VA Medical Center
7400 Merton Minter
Room 108
San Antonio, TX 78229

Cell: (210) 823-4406Cathy “Cat” Sermonscathy.sermons@tvc.texas.gov
Hours:  7:00a – 4:00p / M-F

Temple Region

Olin E. Teague Veterans Center
1901 Veterans Memorial Dr.
Bldg. 204, Room 1J105
Temple, TX 76504

(254) 899-7726
Cell: (254) 239-6940

Jaime Melendez
jaime.melendez@tvc.texas.gov
Hours:  7:30a – 4:30p / M-F

Tyler Region

Tyler VA Outpatient Clinic
7916 South Broadway
Room 106
Tyler, TX 75703

Cell: (903) 393-4063
Jennifer Aparicio
jennifer.aparicio@tvc.texas.gov
Hours:  7:30a – 4:30p / M-F

Victoria Region

Pattie Dodson Public Health Center
2805 N Navarro St., Suite 501
Victoria, TX 77901

(361) 582-5810
Cell: (361) 676-6297

Jason Callaway
Jason.callaway@tvc.texas.gov
Hours:  7:30a – 4:30p / M-F

Waco Region

Doris Miller VA Medical Center
4800 Memorial Dr,
Bldg 2, Rm BA108
Waco, TX 76711

Cell: (254) 749-8239Sylvia Fawsonsylvia.fawson@tvc.texas.govHours:  7:00a – 4:00p / M-F

 

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Health Care Advocacy In The Media


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Additional Health Care Resources

  • MyHealthyVet
    Provides veterans information and tools to improve their health.  Registrants can access more than 18 million pages of health information from the site’s Health Education Library and create a personal health journal, record and track personal health metrics, and much more.
  • eBenefits
    Designed to provide service members, veterans, and eligible dependents the ability to manage their VA and DoD benefits, claims, and military documents online.  eBenefits provides a customizable workspace that provides personalized and secure VA & DoD information and more than 45 self-service tools and a catalog of links to military and veteran benefits on other websites.
  • Veterans Crisis Line
    Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  Caring, qualified VA responders are standing by to provide FREE and confidential support.  Use the veterans Chat to get online support anonymously, even if you’re not registered with the VA or enrolled in VA health care.  Responders will work with you to help you get through any personal crisis, even if that crisis does not involve suicide.
  • Military Sexual Trauma
    Provides information about the health care services that the VA has available for veterans who experienced Military Sexual Trauma (MST) and provides a fact sheet about Disability Compensation for Personal Assault or Military Sexual Trauma.
  • Veterans Choice Program
    Provides primary care, inpatient & outpatient specialty care, and mental health care for eligible veterans when the local VA health care facility cannot provide the services due to lack of available specialists, long wait times, or extraordinary distance from the veteran’s home to VA services.  This program enhances other treatment options already available at the VA and does not impact existing VA health care or any other VA benefits.
 

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I locate the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) Health Care Advocacy Department (HCAD) representatives throughout the state of Texas?

Our Health Care Advocates (HCAs) cover Texas via twenty-four (24) regions; we mostly have offices in various VA hospitals and clinics, and in a few county facilities. Please click HERE to find the HCA closest to your residence.

When is the best time to contact a Health Care Advocate (HCA) for VA health care needs?

Monday – Friday,  7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  If you contact us after work hours, on weekend or on holidays, we will reach out to you as soon as possible on the next business day.

How does the HCAD assist veterans with resolving concerns and accessing VA health care?

The HCAD works with VA health care providers and support staff to help resolve complaints and reduce the stress of veterans and their families navigating the extensive VA health care system. We assist veterans in understanding their rights and responsibilities.

What forms will the veteran be required to complete prior to receiving HCAD services?

An appropriately completed VA Form 10‐5345 (REQUEST FOR AND AUTHORIZATION TO RELEASE HEALTH INFORMATION) will allow an HCA to speak to the VA on the veteran’s behalf to discuss and access medical records, personal information, and any pertinent data required to seek resolution the reported issue.

With what types of concerns can TVC HCAs assist veterans regarding VA health care?

The HCAD will work to resolve VA health care related pharmacy and medication concerns, appropriate medical tests and lab work, travel pay issues, appointment scheduling, medical co-pay waivers, and enrollment / eligibility issues. We also educate veterans on their responsibilities when billed for health care services by the VA (or through the Mission Act).

What can an HCA do when the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) does not provide a specific medical service?
The HCA can help guide the veteran through the process of obtaining community care within the TriWest Network.  An overview of eligibility and types of care can be found at the following link. Veteran Care Overview – Community Care (va.gov)