GEC Leadership
Drs. Hartronft and Kelso, together with Office of Geriatrics & Extended Care staff, lead efforts to provide programs and services in a range of health care settings, such as acute care, home care, extended care, purchased home care, hospice and palliative care and community- and facility-based care.
Scotte R. Hartronft, MD, MBA, FACP
Executive Director, VA Office of Geriatrics & Extended Care
Veterans Health Administration
Dr. Hartronft is a U.S. Army Veteran, Certified Physician Executive, Fellow of the American College of Physicians, Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and was Associate Dean and Clinical Professor at the UCLA School of Medicine. As Executive Director his responsibilities cover the care of Veterans of all ages with complex care needs and overseeing a $9 billion budget.
He assumed this role in August 2019. Prior to that, he served in senior VA field positions, including Chief of Staff, VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, Deputy Chief of Staff, VA Puget Sound Health Care System and Associate Chief of Staff, South Texas Health Care System in San Antonio.
Dr. Hartronft received his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and completed his Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. After graduating from medical school, he went onto active duty in the U.S. Army and completed both an internship and residency in Internal Medicine and completed the joint VA/DoD Geriatric Medicine fellowship program. He served on active duty in the U.S. Army for eight years until 2006 before coming to the VA. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine.
Catherine McVearry Kelso, MD, MA
Deputy Executive Director, VA Office of Geriatrics & Extended Care
Veterans Health Administration
Dr. Catherine Kelso serves as the Deputy Executive Director for Geriatrics and Extended Care (GEC) in the Office of Patient Care Services. As the Deputy Executive Director for GEC, Dr. Kelso provides national leadership to and has advisory and consultative responsibility for all VHA geriatric and long-term care programs and initiatives.
She joined VHA in 2006 at the VISN 6 Richmond VAMC and has provided exceptional clinical health care to Veterans and their families. She led education and training for interdisciplinary trainees in collaboration with Virginia Commonwealth University as an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine.
Most recently, Dr. Kelso served as the Associate Chief of Staff for Geriatrics and Extended Care at the Central Virginia VA Medical Center in Richmond, VA.
Prior to joining VA, Dr Kelso joined Virginia Commonwealth University, Division of Geriatric Medicine. Her early career focus included care delivery in community nursing homes, inpatient geriatric consultation and serving as Course Director in the VCU School of Medicine. In 2004, she received a Geriatric Academic Career Award and focused her professional development and expertise in palliative care, communication, bioethics and leadership.
Dr. Kelso received her medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University Medical College and completed her Master of Arts in Bioethics and Health Policy at Loyola University Chicago. She also holds a BSN from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and a Master of Science in Primary Care Nursing/Adult Nurse Practitioner from George Washington University School of Medicine.
