Tabitha Sierra PsyD, ABPP, MHA, MBA
Assistant Director, Chief Experience Officer
VA Richmond health care
Phone:
Dr. Tabitha Sierra serves as the Assistant Director and Chief Experience Officer for the Central Virginia VA Health Care System, a role she began in April 2022.
CVHCS is a complex, high-performing system that includes a Level 1a tertiary care hospital in Richmond, a 400,000-square-foot Health Care Center in Fredericksburg, and three outpatient clinics. With an annual operating budget exceeding $1.2 billion, CVHCS delivers care to more than 90,000 Veterans across 52 cities and counties in Central Virginia.
As Assistant Director, Dr. Sierra provides executive leadership for organizational development, strategic planning, and initiatives aimed at enhancing patient experience and employee engagement. She oversees multiple critical service lines, including Public Affairs, Communications, Engagement & Experience, Medical Media, Patient Advocacy, Center for Development & Civic Engagement, Nutrition & Food Service, Prosthetics & Sensory Aid Service, and two Fisher Houses. Additionally, she maintains programmatic oversight of the Veterans Canteen Service.
From January to August 2025, Dr. Sierra served as Acting Associate Director at CVHCS, where she provided operational leadership for hospital administration and resource management. Prior to her current role as the Assistant Director, she was Chief of Engagement and Experience Service at CVHCS, and she previously served as a Clinical Psychologist at the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC).
Dr. Sierra holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. She earned both a Master of Health Administration and a Master of Business Administration from Baylor University through the Army-Baylor program, reflecting her strong clinical and operational expertise. She completed the Health Care Leadership Development Program in 2022, became a Senior Fellow with Partnership for Public Service in 2024, and became a fellow of ACHE in 2026.
Dr. Sierra began her federal service in 1987 serving in the United States Marine Corps as a Small Arms Infantry Weapons Repairman and Primary Marksmanship Instructor. She transitioned to the Marine Corps Reserves in 1991 and received an honorable discharge in 1995. In 2010, she continued her service to Veterans at the Hampton VAMC before advancing to leadership roles within the VA system.
A native Texan and proud member of a military family—that includes the Marine Corps, Navy, and Army Veterans—Dr. Sierra brings a unique perspective shaped by military service and a lifelong commitment to Veterans. Outside of work, she enjoys target shooting and cycling. She and her husband, Dan—also a Marine—have been married for more than 36 years and are proud parents of four adult children (two of whom are Marine Veterans along with one daughter-in-law and one son-in-law who are Marine Veterans) and grandparents to six grandchildren.