Lebanon VA Medical Center director retiring at the end of March

He has more than 34 years of federal service spanning 2 federal agencies, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of the Army.

The son of a U.S. Coast Guard Veteran, Callahan began his VA career in 1993 as an Occupational Safety & Health Manager at Lebanon VAMC. In 1997, he became the Facility Manager at the Butler, PA, VAMC and served at the three division VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) as the Associate Medical Center Director for Site Management from 2000-2007 responsible for day-to-day operations of 3,000 employees serving over 57,000 veterans before returning to Lebanon in his current role in November 2007. Prior to transferring to the VA, Callahan worked for the Department of the Army Preventive Medicine Department at Aberdeen Proving Grounds Maryland, and E.I Dupont as a laboratory researcher.

Mr. Callahan’s leadership and accomplishments over the years include recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Presidential Rank Award, modernizing the 75 year old facility and its five VA Community Clinics through significant capital acquisitions and world class construction, doubling the staffing size to meet the needs of Veterans, expanding care for more than 46,000 Veterans who choose VA for their health care, leading the health system to consistently perform in the top 10% of VHA facilities for employee satisfaction and Veteran experience over the past 10 years, national best VHA facility for Veteran and Employee Experience the last two years in a row, navigating the health system through the COVID-19 pandemic, developing multiple national best practices, creating symbiotic partnerships with numerous government agencies, non-profit organizations and Veteran Service Organizations, as well as mentoring many future VA leaders across the country. In reflecting on his federal service, Callahan said, “serving Veterans alongside the dedicated professionals at the Lebanon VA and our community clinics has been among the greatest honors of my life. I delayed planned retirement last year and I look forward to more time with family and pursuing other interests. The medical center and our community clinics are well-positioned to continue our long legacy of caring for Veterans.”

A national search has already been initiated to select the next Director and CEO of the Lebanon VA Medical Center. Margaret Wilson, Associate Director for Patient Care Services/Nurse Executive will be the Acting Director.

Lebanon VA Medical Center is one of 170 medical centers in the nation with the sole purpose of providing world-class medical care to America’s Veterans. Lebanon VAMC serves a nine-county area in South Central Pennsylvania covering Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, Schuylkill and York counties. Lebanon VAMC also currently oversees community clinics located in Lancaster, Mechanicsburg, Pottsville, Wyomissing, and York. If you are a Veteran, you may be eligible to receive care and benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more, call (717) 272-6621, ext. 6000.

For more information about the Lebanon VA Medical Center, visit https://www.va.gov/lebanon-health-care/, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VALebanon, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VALebanon.

Douglas A. Etter, Chief Communications Officer

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