Veterans Health Administration
Located in Tampa, Florida, VISN 8 is the nation’s largest system of hospitals and clinics serving a population of more than 1.4 million Veterans in a vast 64,153 square mile area spread across 79 counties in Florida, South Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
VISN 8’s seven healthcare systems include eight Joint Commission-accredited VA medical centers and more than 90 large and small outpatient clinics. Over 35,000 full-time VISN employees work at these facilities, providing high-quality, cost-effective medical, psychiatric, and extended care services in inpatient, outpatient, nursing home, and home care settings.
Read our latest Annual Report (PDF) to learn more about our VISN and health care systems.
Suicide Prevention Awareness Day event video link and resources located below.Â
13000 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
Tampa
FL
33612
813-558-3900
Located in Tampa, Florida, VISN 8 is the nation’s largest system of hospitals and clinics serving a population of more than 1.4 million Veterans in a vast 64,153 square mile area spread across 79 counties in Florida, South Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
VISN 8’s seven healthcare systems include eight Joint Commission-accredited VA medical centers and more than 90 large and small outpatient clinics. Over 35,000 full-time VISN employees work at these facilities, providing high-quality, cost-effective medical, psychiatric, and extended care services in inpatient, outpatient, nursing home, and home care settings.
Read our latest Annual Report (PDF) to learn more about our VISN and health care systems.
Suicide Prevention Awareness Day event video link and resources located below.Â
13000 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
Tampa
FL
33612
813-558-3900
| Facility Name | State | Status Code | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deerfield Beach VA Clinic | Florida | NOTICE | Scheduled Appointments Only |
| Hollywood VA Clinic | Florida | NOTICE | Scheduled Appointments Only |
| Homestead VA Clinic | Florida | NOTICE | Scheduled Appointments Only |
| Miami Flagler VA Clinic | Florida | NOTICE | Scheduled Appointments Only |
| Ocala West VA Clinic | Florida | CLOSED | Services at this clinic have merged with the new Ocala VA Clinic located at 4826 Southwest 49th Road, Ocala, FL 34474-6299; visit the Ocala VA Clinic page for more info - https://www.va.gov/north-florida-health-care/locations/ocala-va-clinic/ |
| Pembroke Pines VA Clinic | Florida | NOTICE | Scheduled Appointments Only |
| William "Bill" Kling Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic | Florida | NOTICE | Scheduled Appointments Only |
Find a VISN 08 Medical Center or Clinic near you. Click on the location below to learn more about each healthcare system, including its outpatient clinics.
VA Bay Pines Healthcare System (Bay Pines, Florida)
VA Tampa Healthcare System (Tampa, Florida)
North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System (Gainesville and Lake City, Florida)
VA West Palm Beach Healthcare System (West Palm Beach, Florida)
VA Caribbean Healthcare System (San Juan Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico)
VA Orlando Healthcare System (Orlando, Florida)
VA Miami Healthcare System (Miami, Florida)
September is Suicide Prevention Month
Theme: “Don’t Wait. Reach Out.”Â
On behalf of the VA Sunshine Healthcare Network, thank you to those that were able to attend Tuesday’s Suicide Prevention Awareness Day Virtual Event.Â
You can view the video of the event here. Important resources that were discussed during the event and much more info are available here.Â
Thank you again for joining us.Â
 If you’re a Veteran having thoughts of suicide, or are concerned about a Veteran, contact caring, qualified responders day or night for crisis support.
Dial 988 then Press 1, chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text 838255.
Hurricane Preparedness Guide for Veterans and Families
Preparing for hurricane season can help keep you and your family safe. Download the VISN 8 Hurricane Preparedness Guide today.
Health Information Card
An emergency health information card helps first responders know important medical and contact information if they find you unconscious, incoherent or if they need to quickly help you evacuate. Your emergency health information card should include information about any disabilities, medications, Â equipment you use, allergies, communication difficulties you may have, preferred treatment and medical providers, and emergency contacts.
Print this emergency health information card and complete it with a permanent ink pen. Make multiple copies of the card to keep in your emergency supply kit, car, wallet or purse, or wheelchair pack.
Atlantic Hurricane Season: June 1 thru November 30
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)Â released its 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook late May and is forecasting an “above normal” season.
Named Storms: 17-25Â Â Â Â Â Â Hurricanes: 8-13 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Named Major Hurricanes: 4-7 (category 3 or higher)
Plan Ahead for Other Disasters
Your family may not be together if a disaster strikes, so it is important to know which types of disasters could affect your area. Know how you’ll contact one another and reconnect if separated. Establish a family meeting place that’s familiar and easy to find. Most importantly – Make a plan today!
Resources (National, Federal, State, and more)
Click on your respective health care systems to view local facilities emergency preparedness resources:
·  VA Bay Pines Healthcare System
·  VA Caribbean Healthcare System
·  VA North Florida/South Georgia Health System
·  VA Miami Healthcare System
·  VA Orlando Healthcare System
· Â
Veterans Health Matters Magazine
The Summer 2024 issue of Veterans Health Matters is now available to read online. You can access the English and Spanish versions of the publication by clicking the links below, along with the accompanying white board video.
 English Version | Spanish Version
For those unfamiliar with Veterans Health Matters, it is an award winning, quarterly publication that is produced and distributed in both hardcopy and digital formats to Veterans and their loved ones across Florida, South Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It has been in existence since 2011 and largely focuses on Whole Health.
Click here to receive a copy of Veterans Health Matters in the mail, via email, or both.
Annual Reports
Learn more about VISN 8 Healthcare Systems
2024 Healthy Living Calendars
English Version | Spanish Version
Living Well Videos
Click here to access the full playlist
The VISN 8 Clinical Contact Center is a service of the VA Sunshine Healthcare Network (VISN 8) – providing 24/7, virtual care and tele-emergency care and support to Veterans enrolled for VA Health Care in Florida, South Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Veterans who receive care in the network can call 1-877-741-3400 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.
Questions and Answers: Clinical Contact Center
Video: VA Health Connect
We depend on the goodwill and generosity of our donors and volunteers. By volunteering your time or making a donation, you can give something back to Veterans who have given so much to our country. As a volunteer, you’ll provide many important services throughout our health care system and help make Veterans’ visits to our facilities more rewarding.Â
Informational Flyers on Volunteering and Donating
Exceeding Veterans Expectations
Bay Pines VA Healthcare System – Tampa, FL
James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital – St. Petersburg, FL
Miami VA Healthcare System – Miami, FL
North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System – Lake City & Gainesville, FL
Orlando VA Medical Center – Orlando, FL
VA Caribbean Healthcare System – San Juan, PR
West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System – West Palm Beach, FL
VA welcomes women Veterans. We are committed to providing high-quality services in a sensitive and safe environment at all VA facilities. Women Veteran Program Managers are available at each VA medical center to assist women Veterans with questions and coordinate services (see contact information on this page).
Each woman Veteran is assigned a Women’s Health Primary Care Provider. These experienced providers are trained to deliver comprehensive primary care, as well as routine women’s health care. You will be at the center of a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) where a provider, nurse, and others will work with you to manage your health care:
The Women Veterans Call Center provides women Veterans information about VA services and resources, benefits, and eligibility. The toll-free line is available Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m. ET and on Saturdays 8:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m. ET. Please see our Women Veterans Call Center website or call 855-VA-WOMEN (855-829-6636). Call, chat, or text are all available.
For Public Affairs matters, send a note to VISN 8 Office of Communication
For Veterans benefits-related complaints and issues, call the St. Petersburg Regional Office at (800) 827-1000.
VISN 8 FOIA – VISN8FOIA@va.gov
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
