Erin Coomes Au.D., CCC-A

She has more than 18 years of progressive leadership experience across complex, multi-division VA medical centers. She currently serves as the Associate Director for Resources at the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS), where she provides executive leadership for Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Organizational Development, the Business Office, and the system’s extensive network of Community Based Outpatient Clinics. In this role, Dr. Coomes helps guide resource stewardship, infrastructure modernization, and operational alignment across a large, high‑performing healthcare system.

In her prior role as Assistant Director at the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Dr. Coomes provided executive leadership for Police Service, the Veteran Experience Office, Prosthetics, Emergency Management, and the Center for Development and Civic Engagement, while also serving as the executive liaison to enterprise partners such as the Office of Information and Technology and the Veterans Canteen Service. During her tenure as Assistant Director, Dr. Coomes also completed a one‑year NTE detail as the Acting Associate Director for Resources, where she oversaw daily operations and collaborated with the executive leadership team to further the vision and mission of TVHS and VA.

Prior to returning to Tennessee Valley, Dr. Coomes served as the Associate Director for Operations at the VA North Texas Healthcare System, one of VA’s largest and most complex medical centers. In that role, she provided executive oversight for Engineering, Safety, Pharmacy, Nutrition and Food Services, Health Administration, and Environmental Management. She previously served as the Service Chief for Audiology & Speech Pathology Service, where she oversaw multi-site clinical operations, implemented major process improvements—including expanding direct access to audiology services in alignment with the VA Secretary’s access initiatives—and led the service through nearly 30 percent growth. She also contributed nationally as a technical team member for the VA Hearing Aid Integrated Product Team. 

Dr. Coomes began her VA career at TVHS, first as a research audiologist and later as a staff audiologist before advancing into supervisory and executive roles. She is a graduate of Leadership VA (2019 cohort) and is recognized for her ability to build high-performing teams, strengthen operational reliability, and develop systems and structures that support long-term organizational transformation. 

She earned her Doctorate of Audiology from Vanderbilt University and her B.A. in Communication Disorders from Middle Tennessee State University.