Arun Raman MD, MBA, FACS, FACHE, CPE

one of the Department of Veterans Affairs' most geographically expansive health care systems, providing care to Veterans at multiple sites across Hawaiʻi, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. He was first detailed to the position in January 2023 and appointed Chief of Staff on June 21, 2023.

As Chief of Staff, Dr. Raman provides executive leadership for physician services, clinical operations, quality and patient safety, graduate medical education, research oversight, and strategic clinical initiatives. He works closely with executive leadership, academic affiliates, community partners, and the Department of Defense to advance access to high-quality, Veteran-centered care throughout the Pacific.

During his tenure, Dr. Raman has led numerous initiatives to expand access and improve health care delivery. His leadership includes the development and opening of the first two VA Urgent Care Clinics in the Pacific region, the establishment of innovative VA–Department of Defense clinical partnerships, expansion of specialty care through community collaborations, and oversight of significant growth in the number of Veterans receiving care throughout the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System. His first two years as COS oversaw Primary Care expansion with high double-digit growth in both their enrollment and completed new patient appointments over that period, with a significant increase in their ‘Best Places to Work’ metric. He has also helped guide major facility expansion projects designed to meet the growing health care needs of Veterans across the Pacific.

Before joining the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2021 as Associate Chief of Staff, Dr. Raman practiced on the Oregon coast, where he served in several physician leadership roles, including Medical Director, Department Chair, and Chief of Staff. During his tenure, he received multiple awards recognizing excellence in patient care, physician leadership, and service. In 2018, he was awarded the prestigious Nizar N. Oweida Scholarship by the American College of Surgeons in recognition of his commitment to improving surgical care in rural communities.

Dr. Raman attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, before entering the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, in Trinidad and Tobago, where he earned his medical degree with honors in Pharmacology and Pathology. Following medical school, he worked in both general surgery and emergency medicine departments in Trinidad before completing his General Surgery residency at Oregon Health & Science University, where he was recognized for his dedication to teaching medical students. He later earned a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management from Oregon Health & Science University.

Dr. Raman is board-certified in General Surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), and a Certified Physician Executive (CPE) through the American Association for Physician Leadership. He also serves as a volunteer Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Inspired by a family tradition spanning four generations of physicians, Dr. Raman has dedicated his career to advancing access to care, strengthening clinical quality, fostering innovation, and building collaborative partnerships that improve health outcomes for local communities.