New Director appointed for VA Western Colorado Health Care System

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Mathew Tekansik, as the new director of VA Western Colorado Health Care System (VWCHCS). Mr. Tekansik is responsible for one Medical Center and four outlying Clinics, and oversees delivery of health care services covering 47,000 square miles within the state of Colorado and Utah. 

“We are excited to bring Mr. Tekansik on board as the new director of the VA Western Colorado Health Care System,” said Sunaina Kumar-Giebel, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 19 Director.  “His sound leadership qualities and proven experience will be valuable assets for the facility, the employees and volunteers, and most importantly, for the Veterans we are honored to serve.” 

Mr. Tekansik began his career with the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2011 as a Program Support Assistant and TCF intern in the Accounting and Fiscal department. Over the years, he has advanced through various leadership roles, including the position of Chief of Fiscal. Mr. Tekansik has served as the Associate Director at VWCHCS since 2023. 

 The VA Western Colorado Health Care System provides essential services across 17 counties in western Colorado and Utah, covering more than 47,000 square miles and three congressional districts. Despite being the second smallest VA facility, it covers one of the largest catchment areas. This extensive healthcare network includes five care sites: the VA Medical Center in Grand Junction, Colorado, and outpatient clinics in Craig, CO, Glenwood Springs, CO, Montrose, CO, and Moab, UT. Established in 2020, a mobile medical unit enhances healthcare accessibility for rural Veterans, along with mobile Audiology, and Prosthetics units. WCHCS serves 15,622 enrollees, achieving a 68.3% market penetration rate, the highest in VISN 19. The Grand Junction VA Medical Center is authorized for 56 beds, distributed among various departments, including 31 Community Living Center beds, 5 ICU beds, 14 medical/surgical beds, 6 psychiatry beds, and 8 emergency department beds located in temporary trailers during construction. The healthcare system offers a wide array of services such as primary care, mental health, emergency medicine, cardio-pulmonary care, radiology, surgery, women Veterans' healthcare, social work services, physical, occupational, and recreational therapy, a prosthetics and orthotics lab, nutrition, audiology, dental care, and podiatry. The facility also supports several teaching programs and maintains affiliations with Intermountain Health St. Mary's Hospital. Grand Junction is renowned for creating the 1987 National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, an annual event is held in Snowmass, Colorado. WCHCS is also well known for high patient satisfaction, consistently reflected in trust scores that surpass VISN 19 and national averages.