Veterans Affairs secretary visits El Paso to announce goals for better access to care

Acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Sloan Gibson is expected in El Paso Friday morning for a news conference.

Along with Congressman Beto O’Rourke, Gibson will talk about goals to dramatically change access to healthcare for veterans in the community.

The nation’s Veterans Affairs Department has come under fire recently for allegations of misconduct at hospitals across the country.

In some cases, veterans died while waiting for healthcare.

Gibson was appointed after Eric Shinseki resigned as secretary in late May. Shinseki took responsibility for the troubles plaguing the VA system.

In El Paso, an audit revealed that the nearly 80,000 veterans in the area faced some of the longest wait times in the nation to see a doctor.

Gibson and O’Rourke are expected to address the media at 10:25 a.m. Friday at the El Paso VA Health Care System located at 5001 N. Piedras Street.