David R Renfro

Mr. Renfro joined VA Palo Alto health care in 1989, right after serving in the United States Navy as a Hospital Corpsman, Second Class Petty Officer from 1985 to 1989. Before joining VA, he served in the Gulf War and was recalled to active duty after a year at VA to participate in Desert Shield/Desert Storm at the Naval Hospital in Oakland, CA; Oak Knoll Naval Hospital. His prior service also includes time at the Naval Hospital Balboa, the Naval Hospital in Oakland, and aboard the USS Shasta AE-33. Mr. Renfro holds a Master’s Degree in Science with a focus on Nursing Administration from San Jose State University and is nationally certified as a Nurse Executive through AACN.

Mr. Renfro is recognized as a servant leader and has most recently served as the Chief Nurse for Specialty and Hospital-Based Services. In this role, he oversaw leadership for the Critical Care units, Medical-Surgical units, Emergency Room, Case Management, and the Nursing Supervisors Office. Among his major initiatives, he has led Project RED readmissions strategies, the implementation of Avasys, the Vocera communication initiative, the Intermediate Care Technician (ICT) program, including the first national SkillBridge Program for active duty medics and corpsmen, and the newly established Clinical Command Center.

Mr. Renfro is dedicated to improving Veteran health care through evidence-based practice, Lean, and process improvement strategies. He has been instrumental in implementing Project RE-Engineering Discharge (RED) at VA Palo Alto and assisting with its rollout in over 13 VAs nationwide. He has presented his work at numerous national and regional forums, including the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and Stanford University International MEDX Conference. Recognized as a national resource for Project RED and readmission strategies, as well as ICT program development, Mr. Renfro is a graduate of Leadership Development VISN 21/22 and Leadership VA class of 2015. Active in his community, he was elected Vice President for the Leadership VA Alumni Association in 2020.