Former VA Health System Director honored by Gainesville Chamber of Commerce

The Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce recently recognized Thomas Wisnieski, former director of the North Florida/ South Georgia Veterans Health System with the Impact Award during the 2021 Veteran’s Appreciation Luncheon.

The Impact Award- one of the six award categories that is presented to recipients during the luncheon, honors one outstanding employee in Veterans services. The award is one of the only categories that recognizes a non-Veteran that is dedicated to making a significant impact in the Veteran community.

“It is a great pleasure to receive this award from the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce.” said Thomas Wisnieski, former North Florida/ South Georgia Veterans Health System Director. “I was humbled when I received the call about being recognized with this prestigious award,” he said.

Thomas Wisnieski served as the Director of the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System from April 2012 to July 2021. During his tenure he provided Executive Leadership to the most complex health system within the Department of Veterans that serves more than 138,000 Veterans annually. During the challenging times of COVID-19 under his direction, the health system took swift action to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by successfully putting safety measures in place to include moving many appointments to virtual appointments. These virtual modalities offered unexpected benefits of convenience for Veterans and additional engagement options for family and caregivers. Wisnieski also took an active role in the planning and implementation of COVID-19 vaccines for Veterans and employees. The health system was able to fully vaccinate over 75,000 individuals within the first 3 months of the deployment.

“Mr. Wisnieski has always been deeply committed to modernizing health care for Veterans” said Ian Fletcher, Greater Gainesville Chambers Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of education and talent alignment. “He continuously sought out new and innovative ways to becoming a High Reliability Organization that remained focused on improving patient safety and the Veteran’s experience.”

“Tom [Thomas] receiving this award reinforces the impact that Veterans Health Administration has on caring for Veterans in our local community” stated David Isaacks, current Director of the North Florida/ South Georgia Veterans Health System. Thomas Wisnieski recently retired from the North Florida/ South Georgia Veterans Health System in July 2021 with over 40 years of federal service.

Melanie Thomas, Public Affairs Officer

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