VA Healthcare-VISN 4
Message from the Director
Message from the Director
Dear Veterans, fellow employees, volunteers and friends of VISN 4:
On November 1, 2016, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) marked the 150th anniversary of the opening of the very first federal soldiers' facility, which became the template for federal Veterans' hospitals.
That first facility in Togus, Maine, was our Nation's first tangible answer to President Lincoln's call to care for those "who shall have borne the battle," and for their families and their survivors. This network of facilities would become the Veterans Administration in 1930, which was then elevated to a cabinet-level Department in 1988.
In 2016, VA continued an ongoing transformation, achieving irreversible progress and improvements that will help us tackle the substantial challenges facing the Nation's largest health care operation.
In order to consistently provide the best—and most timely—care and services, the Veterans Health Administration identified five critical priorities for strategic actions. These priorities will support the transformation of VA health care, and will have far-reaching impact throughout our system.
In working to achieve these priorities, we are striving for all Veterans to have safe, high-quality, personalized, and timely care wherever they receive their health services. Our Veterans have earned nothing less.
As you click through this e-zine, you will read more about these priorities – access, employee engagement, high performance system, best practices, and trust in VA care – and the specific ways VISN 4 employees are embracing them.
By adhering to our I CARE values (Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, Excellence), all VISN 4 employees are making a profound impact on the lives of Veterans every day. In VISN 4, we care deeply about providing the highest quality health care available anywhere and continuously improving our care and services.
But VISN 4 cannot fulfill our mission without feedback from Veterans or help from empowered employees, community partners (in both the public and private sector), and dedicated, selfless volunteers. So, thank you for your continued support of our network. I am determined that 2017 will be as successful as 2016 was.
With warm regards,
Michael D. Adelman, M.D.
Network Director
VA Healthcare – VISN 4
VA Healthcare – VISN 4 Leadership
Michael D. Adelman, M.D.
Network Director
Since January 2016
Jennifer Farrar
Interim Deputy Network Director
Since December 2016
Timothy Burke, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
Since March 2016
Chuck Thilges
Chief Financial Officer
Since February 2016
Moira M. Hughes, FACHE
Quality Management Officer
Since April 2014
David E. Cowgill
Communications Manager
Since January 2007
Kimberly Butler, MPH
Executive Assistant
Since September 2012
Around VISN 4
Dr. Adelman regularly travels to participate in important meetings and events, as well as visit each facility in the network.
Each quarter, all VISN directors in VHA must visit each facility in their network and report back to Central Office on best practices they find as well as challenges that front line employees are facing. These network director site visits have proven to be a valuable tool to increase communication, transparency and employee engagement between leadership and the front lines of patient care.
