Harold Pharis

Mr. Pharis is a distinguished Veteran of the United States Army, where he completed tours in Desert Storm (1991), Afghanistan (2005-2006), and Iraq (2007-2008) as a healthcare specialist (Medic). Throughout his military career, held numerous leadership roles, including operations and administrative supervisor, department of emergency medicine supervisor, surgical and clinical care supervisor, and surgical services supervisor. Mr. Pharis retired from the Army in 2013, after a commendable career.

In 2013, Mr. Pharis transitioned to his VA career at the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, serving as the administrative officer for the Department of Mental Health. Since then, advancing through several VA facilities across the nation, gaining valuable experience and taking on roles of increasing complexity including. His current role is that of the Associate Director for Resources and Operations at the VA Central Iowa Healthcare System.

Mr. Pharis holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master’s in Executive Leadership from Liberty University. He also completed the University of Nebraska-Methodist Health Care Analytics Certificate Program in 2015 and is a graduate of the VISN 15 Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability, and Development (LEAD) Program. Additionally, he holds a VA-CASE Lean Yellow Belt Certification and is a member of several professional organizations, including the American College of Healthcare Executives, Association of the United States Army (AUSA), Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the Order of Military Medical Merit.