Alfredo H. Arellano PMHCNS-BC, PA
TMS El Paso
1122 Montana Ave.
915-307-5796
www.aapsychiatry.com
What do you consider to be the most special qualities or aspects of your business?
We are a comprehensive mental health clinic that can meet the needs of any individual with substance use and mental health conditions. By comprehensive, I mean we do evaluations, medication management, psychological testing, cognitive or neuropsychological testing, counseling and we specialize in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Spravato/Esketamine treatment all under one roof. No one else in this region offers all of these services under one roof.
What inspired you to become an entrepreneur, and can you share the story of how you started your first venture?
My wife was the driving force for me to go into private practice. She encouraged me to take the risk and set up our business. We sat down with our daughter and a friend and developed our vision, mission and slogan of “Healing Minds and Helping Hearts” over some wine. In May 2019, we opened our practice on the second floor of another building with only a reception area and my office. We had to find our current location within three months as we quickly outgrew our two-room office. Today, we are blessed to operate three outpatient clinics throughout El Paso. Focus, commitment to excellence, high quality care, great staff and never-ending desire to bring the most up to date care to this region are all qualities that made this possible.
Can you describe a significant challenge or setback you faced as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
In the Spring of 2024, Change Healthcare from United Healthcare, where providers submit claims, was cyberattacked nationwide so we could not bill and did not receive payments for over three months. This year, a major insurance company changed contractors and subsequently no claims were paid to providers from January 1 thru middle of March 2025. Both of these incidents were stressful, as we have staff and overhead to pay, but we remained strong in our faith that God was with us, focused on our qualities that have made us succeed and in both instances were able to weather the storms.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who are just starting out on their entrepreneurial journey?
Learn the business inside and out that you’re going to start. Don’t start a medical practice if you have no knowledge of how an office operates, the revenue cycle (billing, collecting, etc), hiring, training and marketing. There are no shortcuts and be prepared to work harder than ever. Just because you have a talent does not make you a successful entrepreneur. I tell everyone that asks me for advice to focus on: Exceeding the Customers Satisfaction; Provide Excellence in Quality Care, Hire and Train the Best People, Market your brand every way you can and then the Financial rewards will follow.
Photography by Annabella Mireles