Barrett Franklin MS, MBA, FACHE, CCE

Barrett Franklin serves as Executive Director of the VA Bedford Healthcare System, one of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ largest long-term care and mental health facilities, located in Bedford, Massachusetts. In this role, he provides strategic direction and oversight for a system that serves thousands of Veterans each year. His responsibilities include fiscal management, workforce performance, quality improvement, and operational excellence across clinical and administrative services. 

With a VA career spanning more than 15 years, Mr. Franklin is recognized for advancing patient-centered care and leading transformational initiatives that improve Veteran health care. He has held several key executive leadership roles, including Deputy Network Director, Interim Medical Center Director at the Lexington VA Health Care System (KY), and Interim Executive Director for the VA Bedford Healthcare System. Across these roles, he has championed national best practices in long-term care delivery, strengthened resource stewardship, and fostered cross-disciplinary collaboration to support VA’s mission. 

Mr. Franklin serves on the Board of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) and is a Fellow and active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). He has authored numerous publications and delivered professional presentations on a range of topics in healthcare administration and medical technology. 

CAREER CHRONOLOGY: 

2026 – Present Executive Director, VAMC, Bedford, MA 

2015 – 2026 Deputy Network Director, VA New England HCS, Bedford, MA 

2025 – 2026 Interim Executive Director, VA Bedford MC, Bedford, MA 

2022 – 2023 Interim Executive Director, Lexington VAMC, Lexington, KY 

2018 – 2018 Interim Network Director, VA New England HCS, Bedford, MA 

EDUCATION: 

2020 Master of Business Administration, Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management, Evanston, IL 

2007 Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 

2005 Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA