Michael Kiefer MHA, FACHE

Michael L. Kiefer was detailed as Acting Executive Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Southern Nevada Healthcare System (VASNHS) effective July 1, 2024. As VASNHS’ Chief Executive Officer his responsibilities include delivery of health care to more than 86,000 enrolled Veterans, management of a $1.06 billion annual operating budget, oversight of a 3,600-person staff, and ensuring outpatient and inpatient services are available to more than 146,700 Veterans residing in an official catchment area of Clark, Lincoln, and Nye counties.

VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System is one of the fastest-growing VA facilities in the nation, providing health care services to 71,500 unique Veteran patients, coordinating more than 950,000 outpatient visits, managing nearly 5,500 inpatient admissions, and supporting 53,400 emergency department visits annually. Facilities include the North Las Vegas VA Medical Center, a comprehensive 150-bed inpatient facility with state-of-the-art medical and diagnostic services, a 20-bed inpatient psychiatric treatment ward, and a 40-bed residential rehabilitation treatment program for substance abuse and gambling disorders. Outpatient services are available at the North Las Vegas VA Medical Center, four community-based outpatient clinics located throughout the Las Vegas valley; a Community Resource and Referral Center; a Veterans Recovery Center; and community clinics in Pahrump and Laughlin, Nev.

In his permanent role, Mr. Kiefer has served as Director for the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS) since July 2019. As Director, he is responsible for the day-to-day operations of this VA HCS with an annual budget of approximately $1.187 billion and over 4,400 employees In Fiscal Year 2022, CTVHCS logged over 1.3 million outpatient visits and 5,534 admissions for approximately 110,000 unique Veteran patients. CTVHCS is a Joint Commission accredited, complexity level 1-A facility serving Veterans in 39 Central Texas counties. CTVHCS is comprised of 2 major VAMCs in Temple and Waco, a large outpatient clinic in Austin, and 7 community-based outpatient clinics located in Brownwood, College Station, Copperas Cove, Cedar Park, Killeen, LaGrange, and Palestine

Mr. Kiefer is a retired Army colonel who has over 34 years of service with an emphasis in health care leadership. His prior experience includes: Director, Amarillo VA HCS; Acting Network Director, VA Heart of Texas Health Care Network (VISN 17); Director, West Texas VA HCS; Regional Chief of Staff, Northern Regional Medical Command, Fort Belvoir, VA; Commander, Weed Army Medical Center, Fort Irwin, CA; Regional Chief of Staff, Pacific Regional Medical Command, Tripler Army MC, HI; as well as Chief of Staff, Carl R. Darnall Army MC, Fort Hood, Texas. Mr. Kiefer earned a master’s degree from Baylor University and a bachelor’s degree from Lehigh University, Pa.