Attention A T users. To access the menus on this page please perform the following steps. 1. Please switch auto forms mode to off. 2. Hit enter to expand a main menu option (Health, Benefits, etc). 3. To enter and activate the submenu links, hit the down arrow. You will now be able to tab or arrow up or down through the submenu options to access/activate the submenu links.

VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network

 

Leadership Team

Paul S. Crews, MPH, FACHE , VISN 6 Network Director, VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network

Paul S. Crews, MPH, FACHE | 919-956-5541

VISN 6 Network Director, VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network

Paul S. Crews, MPH, FACHE, was appointed Executive Director of VA's Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6) on October 10, 2021. VISN 6 has 46 sites of care in North Carolina and Virginia, including seven VA Medical Centers and 32 associated Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), five Health Care Centers, and two free-standing dialysis clinics. The network has an operations budget of more than 5 billion dollars, 21,000 employees, 4,000 volunteers, and serves 452,026 Veterans annually. Mr. Crews has an accomplished history of 30 years of health care experience. Most recently serving as the Executive Director of the Durham VA Health Care System. Mr. Crews is highly experienced in rural emergency medical services, hospital emergency medicine, Navy, Army, and Veteran’s medicine, rural community health planning, rural health policy analysis, healthcare quality, patient safety, and healthcare administration. He was recently awarded the 2021 Dr. Allen Herkimer Award for Outstanding Alumni from Texas State University School of Health Administration. In 2020, he was named the North Carolina Chapter's Regent's Senior Healthcare Executive Award recipient. Both awards recognized Mr. Crews' history of distinguished accomplishments and contributions to health care. He is a proud Navy Veteran who has been married to his wife, Mary Lou, for over 20 years.


James M. Goff, Jr., M.D., Chief Medical Officer, VISN 6

James M. Goff, Jr., M.D. | 919-956-5541

Chief Medical Officer, VISN 6

Dr. James M. Goff, Jr., was selected to serve as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network, Veterans Integrated Service Network 6 (VISN 6), effective April 10, 2022. He is responsible for clinical operations which serve a growing population of 1 million Veterans in Virginia and North Carolina through care provided at 46 sites of care by 21,000 VA staff with an annual budget exceeding $5 billion. Dr. Goff began his VA career in 2007 at the New Mexico VA Health Care System. He served in progressive leadership positions as the Chief, Surgical Service, and Chief of Staff. He was instrumental in the health care system’s response to COVID, fourth mission support to the Indian Health Service, and COVID recovery operations to safely optimize care for Veterans and staff. Dr. Goff is fellowship-trained and board certified in both General Surgery and Vascular Surgery. He received his medical degree from the Tulane University School of Medicine, completed his residency in General Surgery and fellowship training in Vascular Surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, a Medical Research Fellowship at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, and obtained additional fellowship training in Endovascular Therapy at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Goff completed his Master of Science degree in the Science of Health Care Delivery at Arizona State University. He has been recognized by learners and peers for his inspired teaching and is the recipient of numerous teaching awards including multiple outstanding medical student and resident educator awards. Dr. Goff has a servant leader’s passion for performance and system improvement. He has initiated, led, and facilitated multiple teams which have improved the health and well-being of Veterans and the efficiency of clinical operations. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a Fellow of the Society for Vascular Surgery, a Certified Physician Executive by the American Association for Physician Leadership, a Certified Lean Blackbelt, and a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute. Dr. Goff is a proud Army Veteran who served in multiple echelons of military health care, including service as a Battalion Surgeon for an armor/mechanized infantry task force with the 1st Infantry Division during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and later as the Deputy Hospital Commander/Senior Triage Officer with the 48th Combat Support Hospital during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.


Jonathan Benoit, Deputy Network Director, VISN 6

Jonathan Benoit

Deputy Network Director, VISN 6

Mr. Jonathan Benoit was appointed Deputy Network Director for VISN 6, on May 23, 2022. Mr. Benoit has over 23 years of combined health care and business operations experience across VA, state government, and the U.S. Navy. He has been with the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System since August 2016. He has been serving as the Associate Director since June 2018, where he oversees Engineering, Environmental Management, Logistics, Nutrition and Food, Safety, Emergency Management, Healthcare Technology Management, and Police Services. Additionally, he served as the organizational liaison to the Network Contracting Office, the Office of Information and Technology, and the Veterans Canteen Service. Prior to being appointed Associate Director, he served as the acting Assistant Director from February 2018 through June 2018 and Chief of Health Administration Service from August 2016 to February 2018. Before 2016, he worked for the Eastern Colorado VA Healthcare System, first as the Deputy Chief of Health Administration Service, then as the acting Chief of Health Administration Service. Mr. Benoit began his VA career in VISN 8 as a fellow in the Graduate Healthcare Administration Training Program before becoming the Chief of Data Quality at the Orlando VA Medical Center. He holds a Master of Science degree in Health Services Administration from the University of Central Florida and a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health from the University of North Florida. Mr. Benoit is a proud Veteran of the United States Navy.


Mary Parker, PharmD, FASHP, FCCP, FNCAP, Deputy Chief Medical Officer

Mary Parker, PharmD, FASHP, FCCP, FNCAP

Deputy Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Parker was appointed Deputy Chief Medical Officer for VISN 6 on October 24, 2022. Prior to her appointment, she was the Acting Deputy Chief Medical Officer since June 2021; before that position, Dr. Parker was the Acting Chief Medical Officer for VISN 6 from November 2020 to June 2021. Since coming to VA from the private sector in April 2011, Dr. Parker has held several clinical leadership positions throughout her nine years at the Durham VA Health Care System: Acting Associate Chief of Staff for Ambulatory Care, Acting Chief of Ambulatory Care Clinics at Durham VAHCS, Clinic Coordinator, and Clinical Pharmacy Specialist of Ambulatory Care Clinics. Before joining VA, Dr. Parker worked as the Director of Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Clinics and Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner for Moses Cone Health System in Greensboro, NC. There she built pharmacist-run clinical services for anticoagulation, dyslipidemia, heart failure, arrhythmias, and cardiovascular risk reduction at a multispecialty physician practice. She has also served as a Clinical Pharmacist Specialist supporting a 110-bed regional hospital with ER, ICU, Nursery, Surgical, and Radiologic services. Dr. Parker holds a Doctor of Pharmacy from Campbell University and completed general and specialty residency training at Moses Cone. She graduated with a Masters of Business Administration in Healthcare Administration degree from The University of North Carolina at Pembroke in December 2022. She is recognized as a Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, Fellow of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and Fellow and Past-President of the North Carolina Association of Pharmacists. She maintains double-board certification in Pharmacotherapy and Cardiology Pharmacotherapy.


Lisa Shear, Chief Nursing Officer, VISN 6

Lisa Shear | 919-956-5541

Chief Nursing Officer, VISN 6

Ms. Lisa Shear was appointed Chief Nursing Officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6) in March of 2017. Ms. Shear had been the Quality Management Officer in VISN 6 since 2008. Before arriving to VISN 6, she was at the Dayton VA Medical Center where she was Acting Quality Manager and Accreditation/Performance Improvement Coordinator from 2003-2008. Ms. Shear retired as a Colonel from the United States Air Force in 2021 with a combined Active Duty and Reserve career spanning 26.5 years. Her service history included being the Individual Mobilization Augmentee Nursing Administrator at Joint Base Andrews, 445th Aerospace Medicine Squadron Chief Nurse, Assistant Chief Nurse, Infection Control Officer, Education Officer, Wing Inspection Evaluation Team Leader, 88th MDG Chief Nurse of Primary Care, 81st MDG Diabetic Educator, Nurse Transition Program Preceptor and Chief Nurse for two overseas humanitarian tours to Latin America. Ms. Shear serves on the National Healthcare Delivery Council, National Strategic Nursing Leadership Task Force and the National SAIL Strategic Group. Ms. Shear holds a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD and is a Board-Certified Nurse Executive Advanced.


Dana Ballard, Quality Management Officer, VISN 6

Dana Ballard

Quality Management Officer, VISN 6

In November of 2019, Ms. Dana Ballard assumed the role of Quality Management Officer for the Department of Veterans Affairs Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), after holding the position of Patient Safety Officer for the same network. VISN 6 is comprised of 7 medical centers and 46 outpatient care facilities, employing over 25,000 people, and operating with a budget exceeding 6.6 billion dollars. Ms. Ballard has been a registered nurse for over 30 years, having started her career in the private sector in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) before joining the VA. She began her career with the Department of Veterans Affairs as a registered nurse in the Surgical ICU at the Durham VA Health Care System in 2004 and then transitioned to Quality and Patient Safety in 2014. Ms. Ballard holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership from Western Governors University in Salt Lake City, UT. She is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) and a member of the National Association for Healthcare Quality. In addition, Ms. Ballard played a vital role in the VA's national QMO steering committee and serves as a guest lecturer for the VHA’s Risk University.