Acting Secretary Gibson Initiates Process to Select New Veterans Health Chief

WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Sloan Gibson today initiated the process of selecting the next head of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

“This is one of the most important jobs in government today,” said Acting Secretary Gibson. “This is the largest integrated healthcare system in the country. We need a leader who will be a change agent and deliver necessary reforms to provide our Veterans timely access to the world-class healthcare they’ve earned and deserve. The expert panel we’ve assembled to recommend our new health chief understands the urgency and the seriousness of the task ahead, and I’m grateful for their efforts.”

Beginning today, a commission comprised of nine healthcare experts and industry leaders will meet in Washington to assess a series of candidates to serve as the next Under Secretary for Health for the Veterans Health Administration.

The commission includes:

• Nancy Adams, RN, Major General Retired, American Academy of Nursing Fellow
• Garry Augustine, Washington Headquarters Executive Director, Disabled American Veterans
• Delos Cosgrove, M.D., President and CEO, Cleveland Clinic
• Lt. General Patricia Horoho, Army Surgeon General and Commander, U.S Army Medical Command
• Kenneth W. Kizer, M.D., M.P.H., Distinguished Professor and Director, Institute for Population Health Improvement, University of California Davis Health System
• Jennifer Lee, M.D., Virginia Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services
• John E. Prescott, M.D., Chief Academic Officer, Association of American Medical Colleges
• Jose D. Riojas, Chief of Staff, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Bob Wallace, Executive Director, Veterans of Foreign Wars

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