Atlanta VAHCS’s First Chief Experience Officer Brings Compassion to the Forefront
By Gregory Kendall, Public Affairs Specialist
On any given day, Veterans from all six branches of service come to the Atlanta VA Health Care System with one shared expectation, to be treated with dignity, respect, and compassion.
In October 2025, Atlanta VAHCS strengthened that commitment by welcoming Ms. Amy Whitaker as its first Chief Experience Officer (CXO), a new role focused on improving the experience of Veterans, employees, and stakeholders across the system.
“For me, it’s about knowing someone is listening and willing to act,” said Army Veteran James Jones, who receives care at Atlanta VAHCS. “When the Atlanta VA focuses on how Veterans are treated, not just the care itself, it builds trust.”
As CXO, Whitaker provides strategic leadership for experience-focused initiatives and oversees Community Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE/Voluntary Service), the Veteran Experience Office, and Employee Engagement. Her responsibilities include listening to feedback from Veterans and staff, simplifying processes, breaking down barriers between departments, and using data to drive continuous improvement.
Whitaker joined VA in 2012 as a home-based primary care social worker in Louisville, Kentucky, and has since held Veteran experience leadership roles at the Tennessee Valley and Bay Pines VA Health Care Systems. Most recently, she served as Acting Assistant Director at Bay Pines. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from the University of Kentucky and multiple professional certifications, including the Certified Patient Experience Professional (CPXP) credential.
“I came to Atlanta to be part of a transformation to improve compassion and quality in healthcare by empowering our employees,” Whitaker said.
Her goals include increasing Veteran trust scores to above 90 percent, improving the restfulness of the healthcare environment, and resolving patient concerns more quickly.
As a High Reliability Organization, Atlanta VAHCS remains committed to safe, Veteran-centered care. Veterans are encouraged to raise individual concerns with their care teams or the Patient Advocate Team through secure messaging in My HealtheVet. To share ideas on improving the overall Veteran experience, Veterans may also contact the CXO at AtlantaExperienceOfficer@va.gov during normal business hours.