James Paarlberg PharmD

Dr. Paarlberg began serving in this role in November 2025. He previously served in the role of Chief of Pharmacy.

Dr. Paarlberg earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Michigan State in 2004. He completed his Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) from Mercer University in 2008. In 2015, he completed an ASHP PGY1/PGY2 Health System Pharmacy Administration Residency program at Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC and received a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He joined the Salem VA Health Care System in 2015 as the Inpatient Pharmacy Supervisor. Since then, Dr. Paarlberg has been involved with a wide range of pharmacy programs to improve medication management, safety and oversight. 

He became the Associate Chief of Pharmacy in 2018. In 2023, he then became the Chief of Pharmacy Service. As Chief, Dr. Paarlberg was directly responsible for the overall management and operations of the pharmacy service, which includes seventy-seven employees in various operational and clinical roles throughout the health care system.