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The VA Rocky Mountain Network (VISN 19) is located in Glendale, Colo., and was established in March 1996 as one of 21 Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) in the Veterans Health Administration. VISN 19 functions as the responsible structure for the planning, budgeting, and service delivery in the provision of healthcare to Veterans within our geographic region.
4100 E. Mississippi Ave.
Suite 1100
Glendale
CO
80246
303-202-8165
| Facility Name | State | Status Code | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browning VA Clinic | Montana | LIMITED | Currently, the Browning VA Clinic is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Salida VA Clinic | Colorado | NOTICE | Salida VA Clinic will be closed from noon to 12:30 during operating hours. |
| Facility Name | State | Status Code | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browning VA Clinic | Montana | LIMITED | Currently, the Browning VA Clinic is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Salida VA Clinic | Colorado | NOTICE | Salida VA Clinic will be closed from noon to 12:30 during operating hours. |
Find a VISN 19 Medical Center or Clinic near you. Click on the location below to learn more about each healthcare system, including its outpatient clinics.
VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (Aurora, Colorado)
VA Salt Lake City Health Care System (Salt Lake City, Utah)
VA Oklahoma City Health Care System (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
VA Eastern Oklahoma Health Care System (Muskogee, Oklahoma)
VA Montana Health Care System (Fort Harrison, Montana)
VA Western Colorado Health Care System (Grand Junction, Colorado)
VA Cheyenne Health Care System (Cheyenne, Wyoming)
VA Sheridan Health Care System (Sheridan, Wyoming)
Join us as we reflect on a year of progress and innovation within VISN 19, the VA Rocky Mountain Network. This highlight video captures the key moments and milestones of 2024 while looking ahead to the opportunities and initiatives planned for 2025. Together, we’re committed to serving Veterans with excellence across the VISN 19 region.
A world leader in rehabilitation, the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic provides nearly 400 profoundly disabled Veterans with training and rehabilitation every year.
Veterans with TBIs, spinal cord injuries, visual impairments, amputations and other severe disabilities are challenged to overcome perceived limitations through adaptive skiing, sled hockey, scuba diving, rock wall climbing, education and other activities.
In 2024 Q2, a combined team of the VISN 19 informatics pharmacist and the Oklahoma City VA pharmacy discovered that some patients’ non-VA medication information in CPRS wasn’t entered as an actual drug from the VistA drug but rather as free text. The result of that was that national reports wouldn’t pick up the fact that the patient was taking this medication, but also that there would not be any drug interaction checks done by the software, or any allergy or dosing checks.
An automated process was developed to correct over 5,000 different medications in the pharmacy drug file, and the OKC team started educating providers, nurses and pharmacists on how to correct the existing entries and enter new non-VA meds going forward. Correcting this issue seemed overwhelming when considering the potential for tens of thousands of incorrect non-VA med entries, but everyone on this team worked together to identify solutions, accepted assistance to make the necessary corrections, and shared their findings and support throughout VISN 19. Because of their dedication to advancing the principles of being a high reliability organization, the team was awarded the national HeRO award.
Congratulations to the VISN 19 and Oklahoma City VA team!
The VISN 19 Clinical Contact Center (also known as VA Health Connect) is a service of the VA Rocky Mountain Network (VISN 19) – providing 24/7, virtual care and support to Veterans enrolled for VA Health Care in Colorado, Montana, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming.
Veterans who receive care in the network can call their local VA facility to be connected to the VISN 19 Clinical Contact Center around the clock to get their health questions or concerns answered from the comfort and convenience of their home, or wherever they may be.
Services include general administrative support, nurse advice and triage, virtual visits with a doctor or nurse practitioner via telephone, VA Video Connect, or VA Health Chat.
Thank you for your interest in employment with VISN 19. In support of the Presidential Memorandum entitled ‘Hiring Freeze’ and the required actions related to federal civilian hiring, VISN 19 is currently pausing recruitment actions.
We thank you for your interest in public service and serving our Nation’s Veterans. Any future opportunities will be advertised on USA Jobs using the following link: Work in VISN 19.
Once we have the authority to fill vacancies, we will resume recruitment.
GLENDALE, COLO. – VA Rocky Mountain Network is proud to announce four VA medical centers received an overall five-star Hospital Quality Rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
“This year, only 8% of the more than 4,600 hospitals nationwide—which includes both non-VA and VA hospitals—received a five-star rating, and Grand Junction VA Medical Center (Grand Junction, Colorado), Cheyenne VA Medical Center (Cheyenne, Wyoming), George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center (Salt Lake City, Utah) and Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center (Muskogee, Oklahoma) of VA Rocky Mountain Network medical centers achieved that coveted evaluation,” said VA Rocky Mountain Network Director Sunaina Kumar-Giebel. “I’m proud of our leadership and staff who commit to serving Veterans daily. These results show that our efforts are paying off, as we provide more high-quality health care to Veterans than ever before.”
For the second year in a row, VA health care facilities were included in the CMS Overall Hospital Star Ratings and received higher star ratings on average than non-VA hospitals.
CMS uses five categories – mortality, safety of care, re-admission, patient experience and timely and effective care – to award a quality rating for each hospital. CMS’s Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings are released annually and provide a snapshot of a hospital’s quality performance. The more stars out of five, the better a hospital performed on the available quality measures.
VA encourages all Veterans, family members, caregivers, and survivors to learn more about VA and apply for their world-class health care and earned benefits today. For more information about VA care, visit VA’s health care website.
About VISN 19: The VA Rocky Mountain Network is one of 18 geographic Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) across the United States, and consists of eight health care systems in Colorado, Montana, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming, and portions
of Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, and Texas, spanning more than 540,000 square miles, the largest geographic area in the continental United States.
VISN 19 has a headquarters located in Glendale, Colorado, eight VA Medical Centers (VAMCs), and more than 100 clinics in the five primary states as well as portions of Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, and Texas. The VAMCs in Aurora, Oklahoma City, and Salt Lake City are also teaching facilities, providing a full range of patient care services, with state-of-the-art technology as well as education and research.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jason Strickland, VISN 19 Chief Communications Officer
VHAV19CCO@va.gov
303-619-1145
Kayla Giuliano, VISN 19 Deputy Chief Communications Officer
Kayla.Giuliano@va.gov
970-314-6582
The VA Health Chat app enables Veterans to quickly connect with VA staff members. No need to travel to a VA facility. Just sign in to the app and start receiving services.
Network Director
Network Director
Sunaina Kumar-Giebel was appointed as the Network Director of Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 19 on June 4, 2023. She is responsible for the direction and management of all operations, finances, and clinical programs of eight healthcare systems and more than 100 additional sites of care, 20,000 employees, serving nearly 1,000,000 eligible Veterans, and an annual budget of $5 billion.
She previously served as the VISN 19 Deputy Network Director (DND) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) since July 2014, responsible for the operations, management, planning, budgeting, and service delivery in the provision of health care throughout the five primary states of Colorado, Montana, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming, as well as portions of Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, and Texas.
Prior to her role as DND/COO, she served in the VHA Office of the Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management (DUSHOM) in Washington, DC, directly impacting VA’s mission, organization, programs, and systems.
Mrs. Kumar-Giebel completed the Graduate Healthcare Administrative Training Program (GHATP) and multiple federal leadership programs. She is an active member in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and a member of the VHA Regents Advisory Council. She has been serving as the Chair of the GHATP Board since 2014. She is also a graduate of Leadership VA (LVA) in 2015.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY:
2023 – Present Network Director, VA Rocky Mountain Network (VISN 19), Glendale, CO
2014 – 2022 Deputy Network Director, VA Rocky Mountain Network (VISN 19), Glendale, CO
2011 – 2014 Health Systems Specialist, Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management, Washington, DC
EDUCATION:
2006 Master of Health Administration, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
2004 Combined Bachelor of Science in Corporate Financial Management, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, and University of Akron, Akron, OH
Interim Deputy Network Director
Interim Deputy Network Director
As the Deputy Network Director (DND), Ms. Childress serves as the chief operations officer, is responsible for all health care operations, and provides administrative oversight for all eight health care systems in the VISN 19 system. Additionally, she will lead HR, biomedical engineering, business development, compliance, capital asset, emergency management, finance, logistics, police, prosthetics, and safety & occupational health functions across the network.
Ms. Childress brings a robust background in VA health care to the VISN 19 DND position. Most recently, Chelsea served as the Acting Deputy Medical Center Director for the VA Long Beach Healthcare System from September 2024 until February 2025.
In her permanent position, Ms. Childress serves as the Associate Director, Resources, at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, responsible for the administrative resources of a complex medical surgical healthcare facility which provides care to over 86,000 Veterans and oversees a $1.6 billion annual budget.
Prior to this position, she served at VA Central Office as the principal advisor to the VA Chief of Staff and as a Special Assistant in the Office of the Secretary.
She has also served as the Supervisory Health System Specialist to the Medical Center Director at the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System and the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Healthcare System. Chelsea began her VA career as a Graduate Healthcare Administration Training Program (GHATP) Fellow.
Ms. Childress holds a Master of Business Administration Degree from Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi with a concentration in Health Care Administration, is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and is a graduate of the Health Care Leadership Development Program and VISN 17 Leadership Development Institute.
Chief Medical Officer
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Bray-Hall joins the VISN 19 Executive Leadership Team from her permanent role as Chief of Staff at the Oklahoma City VA Health Care System, where she has been serving since February 2017. Prior to joining the Oklahoma City VAHCS, she served as an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, and Associate Director of the Eastern Colorado Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center.
Dr. Bray-Hall started her VA career in 2003 in Home Based Primary Care, advancing to administrative roles in Geriatrics and Extended Care, prior to moving to Oklahoma City.
Susan graduated Magna Cum Laude from University of Washington in Chemistry and Biochemistry, and then moved to Colorado for Medical School. She was an AOA graduate from University of Colorado School of Medicine in 1999 and followed with a residency in Internal Medicine and Geriatric Fellowship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.
Interim Chief Nursing Officer
Interim Chief Nursing Officer
Ms. Jeanne Aikin, MSN, RN, has been selected as Interim Chief Nursing Officer for VISN 19, effective 3/24/2024.
Ms. Aikin joined the VA in August 2019 as the Service Chief of the Sterile Processing Service at VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS). She was then promoted to the Chief Nurse of Inpatient Nursing Services. In her roles at ECHCS, Ms. Aikin developed a recruitment program for sterile processing, a float pool that aligns under inpatient nursing, a Step-Down Unit within the ICU, and has aligned nursing leadership to a LEAN model for efficient bed management and patient flow. Ms. Aikin worked collaboratively during the COVID-19 pandemic to create a nursing and facility surge plan.
Ms. Aikin joined the VISN 19 Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Office in December 2022, as the Deputy Chief Nursing Officer. Since arriving at VISN, she has been an integral leadership team member supporting the CNO Office in its program administration and aligning with VISN 19 strategic goals and priorities. Ms. Aikin has led the implementation of a VISN-wide Bed Management System (BMS) Workgroup to improve data and reporting, advocated for training and education of staffing methodology across VISN 19, developed the VISN Geriatrics and Extended Care (GEC) Service line structure, supported process improvement of Tele-Emergency Care (EC) in the Clinical Contact Center (CCC) and delivered exemplary leadership driven by her passion for the nursing profession.
Ms. Aikin brings a depth of leadership experience as a former Chief Nursing Officer and Hospital Administrator at UC Health, where she was part of a team that opened a new hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In this role, Ms. Aikin developed models of care, nursing competencies, policies, and program and service line development. Additionally, she has held Clinical Nurse Leadership roles in critical care, med surg, and float pool for Centura Health within the Colorado market, and she has mastered extensive skills in inpatient operations. Ms. Aikin has been a nurse since 2002, holds a master’s degree in nursing with a focus on organizational leadership, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Quality Management Officer
Quality Management Officer
Ruth Hammond, RN, was appointed as the VISN 19 Quality Management Officer (QMO) In July 2020. She is responsible for the direction, planning, and oversight of multiple quality programs from the VISN level and of eight Health Care Systems, and 123 additional sites of care.
Ms. Hammond joined VISN 19 in July 2013 and served as the VISN Accreditation Specialist and UM Program Manager until 2017 when she transferred to the position of the VISN 19 Risk Manager. Ms. Hammond has a rich Nursing and Quality background within the VA including serving as a Regional Director with the Office of Clinical Consultation and Compliance, and as a Nurse Manager and Associate Chief Nurse at the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center. Prior to joining the VA Ms. Hammond spent 20 years in the private sector functioning in multiple nursing roles.
Ms. Hammond received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 1980 from Loretto Heights College in Denver, Colorado, her Master of Science in Business Administration in 1998 from Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana, and her Master of Science in Healthcare Administration in 1999 from Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
When you can't see a VA health care provider in person, here are some ways to connect to VA virtually — by text, chat, secure messaging, online, over the phone, and using apps. Explore each option and decide which is best for you.
