Fernando O. Rivera
Medical Center Director

Fernando O. Rivera was appointed Medical Center Director for the Washington DC VA Medical Center effective July 8, 2007. He came to Washington, DC on April 29, 2007 to serve as Acting Medical Center Director from the Martinsburg VA Medical Center where he was Medical Center Director effective January 9, 2005.

In this position, he is responsible for healthcare delivery for one of the Nation's most active and high profile VA hospitals. The Washington DC VA Medical Center is a 171 bed tertiary care hospital with a 120 bed Comprehensive Nursing and Rehabilitative Care Center and four community based outpatient clinics. Mr. Rivera is responsible for the efficient supervision of the facility's budget and over 1700 employees. With an extensive background in health care management, planning and development, he has served the VA for 23 years in various positions.

Michael H. Dunfee
Associate Medical Center Director

Mr. Dunfee was appointed as Associate Medical Center Director on November 28, 2007. He previously held the position of Executive Assistant to the Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management (DUSHOM). In this roll, Mr. Dunfee provided direct support to the both the DUSHOM and the Under Secretary for Health.

Mr. Dunfee brings a significant VA management and leadership experience to his role as Associate Medical Center Director at the VA Medical Center, Washington, DC. His past VA positions include Acting Associate Director, South Texans Veterans Health Care System (HCS), Assistant Director, South Texas Veterans HCS. He has served as the VISN 17 Strategic Planner where he oversaw the development and implementation of the VISN Capital Assets Realignment Plan for the Network. He has also done two separate tours in VHA CO 10N. He began his VA career as an administrative resident at the Tomah VAMC in Tomah, WI.

Mr. Dunfee has served on and led a number of critical boards and committees for VHA over the course of his career, including leading the development of the Associate Directors Survival Guide for VHA, as well as currently serving as a member of the national Business Systems Redesign Committee.

Mr. Dunfee is a graduate of St. Cloud State University and received a Masters of Arts in Health Management and Policy from the University of Iowa.

Paula Gorman
Assistant Medical Center Director

Ms. Gorman oversees the operations of Prosthetic Service, Canteen Service, Chaplain Service and Voluntary and Recreation Therapy Service. She has been employed at the Washington DC VA Medical Center for twenty-one years, serving as the principle Recreation Therapist for the Comprehensive Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and then as the Chief, Voluntary Service. She received her BS degree in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of Maryland.

Ms. Gorman and her family reside in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Ross D. Fletcher, M.D.
Chief of Staff

Dr. Fletcher was appointed Chief of Staff, Washington DC VA Medical Center on January 1, 2000.

Dr. Fletcher completed his M.D. Degree (AOA), medical house staff training, and first year fellowship at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He served two years with the U.S. Army in Washington, D.C., and received his Cardiology Fellowship training at Georgetown University.

Since 1972, he has been Chief of Cardiology at the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He has served on the faculty at Georgetown University Medical School since 1969. He is now a Professor of Medicine with Georgetown University.

He is the Director of the nationwide Veterans Affairs registry for the Pacemaker and Defibrillator Surveillance Center and the Core Holter Lab for cooperative studies in antiarrhythmic therapy in congestive heart failure and sudden death.

He is Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Cardiology/Medicine Special Interest User Group. He served on the VA’s Information Requirement Advisory Board (IRAC) and the Clinical Application Requirement (CARG) advisory panels for computer development. He has helped develop the PC version of the VA Cardiology Package with embedded images.

He is a nationally recognized cardiologist and member of the editorial board of several scientific journals.

Geraldine (Geri) A. Feaster, MS, RN, CNAA
Chief Nurse Executive

Mrs. Geraldine Feaster has served as Associate Chief Nurse at the Washington DC VA Medical Center from October 2003 until her appointment as Acting Chief Nurse Executive in January 2005.

Her responsibilities include providing leadership to various programs within Nursing Service. She served as consultant to nurses and other members of the Medical Center staff. She provides leadership for the Magnet Recognition Journey for Nursing Service and is responsible for daily operations for the Compensation and Pension Program.

Mrs. Feaster a Master of Science in Nursing Administration with a minor in Community Health Nursing from the University of Maryland, Baltimore in 1989.

Since 1975 she has held positions of increasing responsibility at the DCVAMC.