Scott R. Isaacks FACHE

Scott R. Isaacks, MBA, FACHE, was appointed the Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System (RHJ VAHCS) in November 2014. His visionary leadership has created lasting change that increased employee engagement and enhanced efficiency and customer service, establishing RHJ VAHCS as a nationally recognized leader and a trusted healthcare system for the Veterans it serves. He is responsible for the operation of this 1A, high complexity health care system serving more than 110,000 enrolled Veterans with nearly 4,000 staff across 14 locations in South Carolina and Georgia with an annual operating budget of $1.3 billion. He has led improvements that have resulted in RHJ VAHCS being recognized as a top performer in research, innovation, quality of care and efficiency, both within VA and nationally amongst public and private sector hospitals leading to RHJ VAHCS being named as the top hospital for quality and patient satisfaction amongst all public and private hospitals in South Carolina by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He has also served in a broad range of leadership positions throughout his VA career including serving as Interim Director and CEO of several other complex health care systems. As the Interim Network Director, VA Southeast Network (VISN7), from 2019 to 2020, he had responsibility for the leadership of an 8-hospital health care system serving more than 1.2 million Veterans with more than 22,000 staff and an annual operating budget of $5 billion. Mr. Isaacks has held a variety of leadership positions including Associate Director/COO, Assistant Director, and Service Line Director for Diagnostic Medicine, Surgery, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service, Long Term Care and Ambulatory/Primary Care at the Miami, Amarillo, Birmingham and Charleston VA Medical Centers since joining the VA as an Administrative Fellow in 1992 along with having completed Director/CEO details at the Charleston, Birmingham, and Dublin VAMCs. He has served on numerous regional and national work groups and committees. Mr. Isaacks served on the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Hospital Association, the South Carolina Research and Education Foundation, the Healthy SC Initiative and the North Texas Chapter of the American Heart Association. His career accomplishments include receiving the first state-wide South Carolina Hospital Association Zero Harm Leadership Award, and recognition as one of the “top 54 hospitals in the south” as the only hospital recognized in SC. He is a recipient of the AAMA Young Healthcare Executive Award and the ACHE Regents Award and the Federal Executive Association Manager of the Year Award. Mr. Isaacks is also a 2023 recipient of the Presidential Rank Award, which is regarded as the highest award for career Senior Executives.   

CAREER CHRONOLOGY:

2014 – Present           Director, Veteran’s Affairs Healthcare System, Charleston, SC 

2019 – 2020                Interim Director, VA Southeast Network, Duluth, GA

2009 – 2013 (various) Acting Director, VAMCs, Dublin, GA; Charleston, SC, Birmingham, AL 

2010 – 2014                Associate Medical Center Director, Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC 

2007 – 2010                Assistant Medical Center Director, Birmingham, AL

EDUCATION:

1993    Master of Business Administration, Finance/Marketing, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

1990    Bachelor of Arts, English/Economics, University of Miami, Miami, FL