TAMPA — The Department of Veterans Affairs is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Antonio Sánchez as the new executive director of the VA Caribbean Healthcare System which serves approximately 60,000 Veterans and has an operating budget of over than $9 million.
More than 4,000 employees provide services at 11 sites of care including a level 1A complexity medical center in San Juan, Puerto Rico and ten community-based clinics located in Arecibo, Ceiba, Comerío, Guayama, Mayagüez, Ponce, Utuado, Vieques, St. Croix, and St. Thomas.
“We are thrilled with this appointment of Dr. Sánchez and welcome him back to VISN 8,” said David Dunning, Acting Veterans Integrated Service Network Director (VISN) 8 Director. “His proven leadership qualities and experience will be an asset for the facility, the employees and volunteers, and most importantly, for the Veterans we are honored to serve.”
Sánchez previously served as the executive director of the VA Northport Medical Center in Northport, NY since May 2019 and served as the acting director of the VA Caribbean Healthcare System from 2017-2019.
He has extensive experience in health care administration, development, and supervision. His past positions include acute care line supervisor of mental and behavioral health care services, chief of psychiatry, deputy chief of staff, interim chief of staff, and chief of staff.
Dr. Sánchez has been a board-certified psychiatrist through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology since 2005 and maintains a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine and health care administration.
He is graduate from the University of Puerto Rico, School of Medicine and completed his postgraduate psychiatry training in 1998. He also possesses a master’s degree in healthcare services administration and became a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives – a distinction uncommon among physicians. Dr. Sánchez is also a fellow of the American Psychiatric Association for his accomplishments in the field.
To learn more information about the VA Caribbean Healthcare System, please visit VA Caribbean Health Care | Veterans Affairs
About the VA Sunshine Healthcare Network (VISN 8)
Located in Tampa, Florida, the VA Sunshine Healthcare Network (VISN 8) is the nation’s largest system of hospitals and clinics serving a population of more than 1.5 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 outpatient clinic locations. Nearly 34,000 full-time employees work at these facilities, providing a full range of high quality, cost-effective medical, psychiatric, and extended care services in an inpatient, outpatient, nursing home, and home care settings. In 2022, more than 670,000 patients used VISN 8 facilities while completing 9.2 million outpatient visits. Learn more about VISN 8 by reading the 2022 Report to the Community.
