H.Lestrita Chappell M.D. FACP FACHE

Dr. Chappell has more than 30 years of experience in medicine and clinical operations with an emphasis on healthcare policy and management. She began her career a civilian ED Physician for the Department of the Army in Landstuhl, Germany. While in Europe, she was selected as the Chief of Medicine for N.A.T.O. Health Clinics, Brussels, Belgium.

Her private practice career began as the managing partner in Dayton Ohio. Dr. Chappell served as the Regional Medical Director for Clinical Operations for Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Tricare Region V, which included Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, and Indiana.

Her VA career began as a staff primary care physician at the Dayton VAMC, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at Wright State University, Adjunct professor of Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic and Medicine Preceptor for the Ohio State University School of Dentistry.  Her VA leadership positions include the Chief Medical Officer, Harlingen, Texas; Associate Chief of Staff/Medical Director at the Kernersville HCC, for the Salisbury VA Health Care System in Salisbury, North Carolina. Dr. Chappell has also served as Deputy Chief of Staff for clinical operations at the Augusta, Georgia VAMC and the Salem VA medical Center in Salem Virginia. Prior to her position at VA Bedford, Dr. Chappell was the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at the Tennessee Valley VA Health Care System, in Nashville TN where she oversaw the delivery of health care for over 130,000 Veterans at 2 Medical Centers and 21 Outpatient facilities. Dr. Chappell completed her internal medicine internship and residency at the Medical College of Georgia and received her medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. She is a graduate of the VISN10 Leadership Development Institute in the Ohio Healthcare system and the Healthcare Leadership Development Program class of 2015b. Dr. Chappell is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.