Mark Rielo appointed Medical Center Director of the El Paso VA Health Care System Bringing leadership, proven experience to El Paso

El Paso, TX-The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Rielo as the new Medical Center Director of the El Paso VA Health Care System. Rielo will oversee an operating budget of $735 million, and the delivery of health care services for more than 44,000 enrolled Southwest Texas Veterans.

“We are excited to officially announce Mr. Rielo as the new Medical Center Director of the El Paso VA Healthcare System,” said Dr. Wendell Jones, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 17 Director.  “His sound leadership qualities and proven experience are valuable assets for the facility, the employees and volunteers, and most importantly, for the Veterans we are honored to serve.”

Rielo has been the acting director of the El Paso VA Health Care System since September 2024.  Prior to joining the El Paso VA, Rielo was the Associate Director of the Amarillo VA Health Care System where he had oversight of overall administration of Fiscal, Supply Chain Management, Environmental Management, Engineering, Health Administration, Police, Privacy, Emergency Management, Facility Planning, Contracting, Canteen, OI&T, and Human Resources.  He has also held progressive leadership positions at the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, and VISN 22 Network Office and has over 18 years of experience serving Veterans.

Rielo holds a master’s in public health from Loma Linda University, and a master’s degree in economics from the University of California, Riverside. He is a VHA-Certified Mentor, a VA Healthcare Leadership Development Program graduate, has completed the Senior Executive Assessment Program and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).

With over 1,500 staff supporting facilities in East, West, Northeast and South Central El Paso, Las Cruces New Mexico and a robust Sharing Agreement with Department of Defense/Defense Health Agency as a Joint Venture facility with William Beaumont Army Medical Center (WBAMC) on Fort Bliss, TX, the El Paso VA Health Care System is one of the most unique of the nation’s 170 VA Medical Centers. The El Paso VA Health Care System operates in 6 counties across 19,000 square miles with 400 thousand outpatient visits in the past year. In addition to health care services for Veterans, the El Paso VA offers extensive education and internship programs for doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals. 

Connie Medrano, Public Affairs

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