VA New England Announces New Deputy Executive Director

“We’re excited to have Leslie Pierson on board as the new deputy executive director of VA Boston,” said Ryan Lilly, director of VA New England Healthcare System. “Over Leslie’s time as VA Providence’s assistant director, she has demonstrated the department’s commitment to the delivery of safe, high-quality health care, and she will continue to be a valuable asset to the network, its employees and volunteers, and most importantly, for the Veterans we are honored to serve.”

Prior to becoming the assistant director at VA Providence, Pierson served as the director of Quality Management and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt candidate. She began her VA career at the Providence VA Medical Center in 2002, working in the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service as a clinical laboratory scientist. In 2004, Pierson was selected as supervisor of the hematology laboratory. In 2007, she was appointed as core laboratory supervisor, overseeing the accuracy, performance, and quality assurance of over 1.5 million tests in hematology, clinical chemistry, and ancillary testing departments. In 2012, she was appointed as the health systems specialist to the chief of staff. Pierson then held the position of group practice manager for several years before being appointed director of quality management. She was detailed as the interim deputy executive director of VA Connecticut Healthcare System in West Haven for six months in 2023.

Pierson holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from Salve Regina University and a Master of Science Degree in Clinical Laboratory Science and Management through Salve Regina University and Brown School of Medicine.

“Ms. Pierson brings proven leadership and depth of experience with her to her new position,” said Vincent Ng, director of the VA Boston Healthcare System. “We look forward to working with her in continuing to provide the exceptional health care our Veterans have earned.”

In her new role, Pierson will be responsible for the delivery of health care to approximately 60,000 Veterans from the greater Boston area and across New England. With an operating budget of over $1 billion dollars and over 5,500 employees, VA Boston conducted more than 733,000 outpatient visits last year and 527 operating beds. VA Boston HCS consists of main campuses in Brockton, Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury, with VA outpatient clinics in Lowell, Quincy, Framingham, Plymouth and Boston. VA Boston is also host to 10 research national centers of excellence, including the Million Veteran Program and the VA Biorepository Brain Bank.

VA New England Healthcare System comprises eight Joint Commission-accredited medical centers, 48 Outpatient Sites of Care, six nursing homes, seven acute psychiatric inpatient units, and 14 Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs, including two residential homeless treatment centers throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.

Winfield Danielson, Public Affairs Officer

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