Our Leadership

• David B. Isaacks, FACHE

  David B. Isaacks, FACHE

  Network Director

  

  David B. Isaacks was appointed as the new executive director of the VA Sunshine Healthcare Network (VISN 8) effective October 9, 2022. Mr. Isaacks oversees the delivery of health care to nearly 800,000 Veterans and an operating budget of $9.2 billion.

  He previously served as Executive Director at the North Florida / South Georgia Veterans Health System in Gainesville, Fl., Executive Director at the Kansas City VA Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo., and Executive Director for the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia, Mo., Mr. Isaacks joined the VA in 2006 and has served in several other leadership roles including deputy network director for both the VA Sunshine Healthcare Network in St. Petersburg, Fla., and the VA Heartland Network in Kansas City, Mo. He also served as director of the VA Central Plaines Consolidated Patient Account Center in Leavenworth, Kan.

  Mr. Isaacks is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, VHA Certified Mentor, an Excellence in Government Senior Fellow, a graduate of the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Leadership Institute – Class of 2008, the 19th Annual Prince Williams Regional Chamber of Commerce Valor Award winner from 2005, a 2003 U.S. Marine Corps Institute Graduate, and a certified LEAN Black Belt. Most recently Mr. Isaacks was recognized in October 2022 with the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award, March 2021 with the ACHE VA Regents Senior Healthcare Award and also recognized in July 2021 with the Ninth Annual Secretary’s Diversity & Inclusion Excellence Award. Additionally, Isaacks is a proud Veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

  The Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN 8) based in Tampa, Fla., encompasses seven healthcare systems that include eight large medical centers, more than 100 outpatient clinics, and seven community living centers. VISN 8 serves Veterans in 79 counties spanning 63,400 square miles in southern Georgia, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

  Network Director

  

• Verana E. Richardson, MHA

  Verana E. Richardson, MHA

  Deputy Network Director

  

  Ms. Verana Richardson was appointed in May 2019 as the Deputy Network Director for Operations for the VA VISN 8 Sunshine Healthcare Network. In this role, she is responsible for network operations and provides administrative oversight to eight VA hospitals and approximately 60 community VA outpatient clinics. In 2019, VISN 8 employed approximately 31,000 staff and provided healthcare to about 630,000 Veterans. The VISN 8 Sunshine Healthcare Network includes most of Florida, South Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Before this current assignment, Ms. Richardson previously served as the interim VISN 8 Chief Operating Officer. Mrs. Richardson has been with VISN 8 since 2008. She has also worked at several other VA facilities during her VA career, which include the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa and the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center in Cleveland. She holds a Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree from Ohio University and is an active American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) member.

  Deputy Network Director

  

• Edward P. Cutolo, MD

  Edward P. Cutolo, MD

  Chief Medical Officer

  

  Edward P. Cutolo, Jr., M.D. was appointed Chief Medical Officer of VISN 8, effective Nov. 2017. Before his appointment, Dr. Cutolo served as Chief of Staff of the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital & Clinics (JAHVH), Tampa, Fla., from November 2006 to October 2017.

  As CMO of VISN 8, he oversees the medical operations of eight large hospitals and more than 60 primary care and specialty outpatient clinics, eight nursing homes, and five domiciliaries.

  Dr. Cutolo is certified in Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He previously served as Associate Chairman and Associate Program Director for the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of South Florida (USF) College of Medicine in Tampa. He currently holds the title of Associate Professor of Medicine.

  Dr. Cutolo received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from John Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, in 1990. He attended Medical School at USF, completing his internship and residency in 1998.

  Chief Medical Officer

  

• Suzanne M. Klinker

  Suzanne M. Klinker

  Deputy Director for Clinical Contact Center

  

  Ms. Suzanne M. Klinker is the Deputy Network Director of the Clinical Contact Center, VISN 8. In this role, she oversees the VISN 8 Clinical Contact Center, a 24/7 virtual urgent care service available to Veterans enrolled for VA care in Florida, South Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. She is an active member of the VHA Clinical Contact Center Governance Board, where she advances VA’s modernization and transformation in virtual care.

  Before her appointment with the VISN 8 Network Office, she was the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System Director from May 2012 to September 2018. Previously, Ms. Klinker was the director of the VA Medical Center in Battle Creek, Michigan; before that, she served as the Associate Medical Center Director at VA Western New York Healthcare System in Buffalo and Batavia, New York.  Ms. Klinker started her VA service at the Colmery-O’Neil VA Medical Center in Topeka, Kansas. She has also worked at VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System and the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas.

  Ms. Klinker began her VA career in 1995.  She completed VHA’s Health Care Leadership Institute and graduated from VHA’s Executive Career Field Candidate Development Program.  She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.  She began her Federal service working for then U.S. Representative Jim Slattery from 1989 through 1994 in Washington, DC, and Topeka, Kansas.

  Ms. Klinker was born in Lafayette, Indiana. She received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, majoring in Finance, from Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, and a Master of Science in Management from Baker University in Topeka, Kansas.

  Deputy Director for Clinical Contact Center

  

• Rebecca M. Tiffault, MSN, RN

  Rebecca M. Tiffault, MSN, RN

  Quality Management Officer and Chief Nursing Officer

  

  Ms. Rebecca M. Tiffault, MSN, RN, is the Quality Management Officer and Chief Nursing Officer for the VA Sunshine Healthcare Network (VISN 8). In this role, she provides leadership oversight and program management of the network’s accreditation, risk management, quality systems, patient safety, performance management, high reliability, systems redesign, and nursing care and programs.

  Before joining the VISN 8 team, Ms. Tiffault was the Chief of Quality at the Tomah VA Medical Center. She also completed details as the Acting VISN 12 Deputy Quality Management Officer and Acting Associate Director at Tomah. She has been with the VA for over 18 years, having served in various progressively complex administrative and leadership roles. She is passionate about quality and safety in health care.  Ms. Tiffault also has extensive experience in the private sector, spending many years as a Certified Emergency Nurse working in ED/Trauma.

  Ms. Tiffault is a graduate of the Healthcare Leadership Development Program (HCLDP) and the VISN 12 Leadership Development Program. She is also a graduate of the Improvement Advisor Academy and has worked as a national coach for the Patient Flow Collaborative. She is a VHA mentor, actively engaged in several coaching/mentoring relationships, and a Sigma Theta Tau International member. Ms. Tiffault has an ADN from Central Carolina Technical College, a BSN from the University of South Carolina, and an MSN from the University of Phoenix.

  Quality Management Officer and Chief Nursing Officer

  

• Jodi Johnson, MSN, RN, CPHQ, VHA-CM

  Jodi Johnson, MSN, RN, CPHQ, VHA-CM

  Quality Management Officer

  

  Ms. Jodi Johnson, MSN, RN, CPHQ, VHA-CM, serves as the Quality Management Officer (QMO) for VISN 8. Ms. Johnson will oversee and lead Quality Management, Change Management, Risk Management (to include peer reviews, state licensing board actions), Accreditations with External Stakeholders, High Reliability Organization (HRO), Systems Redesign, and Patient Safety. Additionally, she will provide support and consultation for Customer Service, Patient Experience, and Continuous Process Improvement (CPI).  Before this appointment, she served as the Deputy QMO with responsibility for Care Coordination/ Integrated Case Management, PACT Nursing, Performance Plan, and measures management, as well as Sterile Processing and other continuous process improvements and change management. Ms. Johnson has served in the specialty of quality management and patient safety in VISN 8 for over 15 years. She is a graduate of the VISN 12 Leadership Development Program (VLDP), is a VHA-certified mentor, and has mentored for the American Nursing Association volunteer mentorship program. She maintains certification as a professional in healthcare quality (CPHQ).

  Quality Management Officer