VA Secretary Visits Sarasota, Recognizes VA Clinic for Ongoing Health Care Support to Veterans

“Secretary McDonough’s visit was a welcomed opportunity to highlight the teamwork and commitment of our employees toward our goal of being a High Reliability Organization,” said Paul M. Russo, Bay Pines VA Healthcare System Director/CEO. “The Sarasota VA Clinic continues to operate at a level that places them at the tip of the spear for the delivery of world-class healthcare, and we were honored to acknowledge them and share their successes with the Secretary.”

Recently, Bay Pines VA received $36M in construction and $4.8M in annual rent under the PACT Act legislation. This funding is paving the way for construction of a new facility in Sarasota that will replace the current clinic. Plans for the new facility are in the initial phases and they include a modern, multi-specialty clinic that provides imaging modalities, as well as optometry, audiology, and various medicine specialties. This expansion also includes accommodations for 221 additional full-time employees.

During Secretary McDonough’s visit, he recognized the following employees for their leadership:

• Dr. Shama James – As the section chief for primary care, Dr. James has overseen the success of all primary care services at all eight VA Clinics within Bay Pines VA. Additionally, Dr. James has been a champion of the Veterans Integrated Care Together Optimizing Resilience (VICTOR) program.
• Ms. Dawn Palmateer – As a registered nurse with the Patient Aligned Care Team, Ms. Palmateer is an exceptional patient advocate who exemplifies the ICARE values. She was recently recognized for her support of a Veteran in crisis, who was driving his vehicle. Her efforts ensured the Veteran was able to receive same-day admittance for mental health care and receive the immediate support he needed.
• Ms. Marielyn Victoriano – As a health administration service (HAS) supervisor, Ms. Victoriano’s leadership has consistently resulted in effective and sustainable problem-solving solutions critical to overall operations and care for Veterans who are served at the Sarasota VA Clinic.
• Ms. Odrys Toro-Esteban – As an advanced medical support assistant, Ms. Toro-Esteban is a pillar of the VA ICARE Principles of Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence. Her grace and humility have consistently endeared her to employees and Veterans. She is often requested – by leaders and Veterans to serve as part of complicated patient cases because of her empathy and advocacy in support of Veterans’ health care needs. 
• Mr. Clark Lo – The administrative officer to Assistant Director Justina Wells was instrumental in the preparations, coordination, and execution of the Lee County Healthcare Center’s efforts during Hurricane Ian. His organizational stewardship was critical during the re-activation of services for the healthcare center and the Naples and Port Charlotte VA Clinics. His steady leadership during a state-wide emergency, immensely contributed to Bay Pines VA’s objective of safely reopening services to provide Veterans with world-class health care in their areas. 

“We brag a lot about Bay Pines because you do a lot of great work,” McDonough said. “This area is growing so fast, and I am excited about the things you’re doing here and what that means for Veterans.”

The Sarasota VA Clinic has seen an 11.8% increase in unique patients since FY20. Throughout 2023, Veterans have scored the Sarasota VA Clinic above the national average for V-Signal trust and overall facility trust scores.

To view photos from the visit, please click here.