Leslie Lockridge DNP, RN

Dr. Leslie Lockridge was appointed Director and Chief Executive Officer of the SAVAHCS on April 5, 2026. As SAVAHCS Director/CEO, her duties include the overall organization and operation ($825M operating budget, 3300 FTE, $2.5M Research Budget) of a 295-bed, tertiary-care teaching medical center and multiple community-based clinics throughout Southern Arizona. SAVAHCS is the principal teaching affiliate with the University of Arizona Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy, as well as 36 other institutions of higher learning. SAVAHCS locations include Tucson, Safford, Casa Grande, Sierra Vista, Yuma, and Green Valley, servicing over 171,000 Veterans through southern Arizona and western New Mexico.

Dr. Lockridge previously served as the Acting Deputy Assistant Under Secretary for Patient Care Services with oversight for 16 National Program Offices delivering operational, policy, and compliance support across VHA. She has held key leadership positions, including Senior Advisor to the Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Patient Care Services, Associate Director for Patient Care Services at the Phoenix VA Health Care System, and acting executive leadership roles in Phoenix, New Mexico, and Southeast Louisiana VA Health Care Systems. 

Dr. Lockridge holds bachelor’s degrees from both Lipscomb University and Tennessee State University in Nashville, TN, a master’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN, and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Chamberlain University in Chicago, IL. She is appointed as a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University’s Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation.