Barbara L. Forsha MSN, RN, CPHQ, CPPS, ET

As Interim Executive Director of San Francisco VA Health Care System, Mrs. Forsha leads a comprehensive network that is comprised of a medical center with outpatient services, located in San Francisco, California, a 111-bed hospital, a 120-bed Community Living Center, and 9 VA outpatient clinics in San Bruno, Downtown San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Rosa, Clearlake, Ukiah, and Eureka. SFVAHCS is a 1a complexity and a tertiary referral health care system, with an operating budget that exceeds $1.2 billion annually. The health care system operates the largest competitively funded research program in VA, with a budget of $96.3 million, over 320 principal researchers, and over 1,000 active research projects. SFVAHCS is also a prestigious general medicine and surgery teaching hospital, with over 60 years of affiliation with University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

SFVAHCS has several National Centers of Excellence in the areas of Epilepsy Treatment, Cardiac Surgery, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, HIV, Renal Dialysis. It has many other nationally recognized programs, including: the Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education, and Clinical Center, the Hepatitis C Resource Center, the Mental Illness Research and Education Clinical Center, and the Western Pacemaker and AICD Surveillance Program.

Prior to accepting the role of Interim Executive Director, Mrs. Forsha served as the Executive Director of Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center (Clarksburg, West Virginia). She has served in this role since October 2021. She previously served as the Interim Medical Center Director in Clarksburg from January 2021 until her permanent appointment.    

Mrs. Forsha is the former Deputy Director of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System where she oversaw health care provided to 80,000 Veterans. Her VA career began in March of 1998 as the Nurse Manager of 3 large outpatient clinics and the Emergency Department. She has held various leadership positions including the Director of Quality and Patient Safety; VISN 4 Quality Management Officer in VISN 4. Ms. Forsha has assumed several detail roles in VHA including, Acting Deputy Network Director (VISN 4), and Acting Director roles for Butler VA Medical Center, Erie VA Medical Center, Pittsburgh VA Medical Center, and Wilkes Barre VA Medical Center.

Mrs. Forsha has a master’s degree in Critical Care Nursing as a Clinical Nurse Specialist from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the National Association of Healthcare Quality. She is a graduate of the Healthcare Leadership Institute Members Only training and the Senior Executive Assessment Program.